


Carnival of Darkness

by Data_Girl_3



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-01 20:36:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 64,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8637247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Data_Girl_3/pseuds/Data_Girl_3
Summary: While out hunting, a mysterious fog somehow sends half of the Cullen family back to the year 1687.  In their attempts to return to their own time, they learn of a plan that might ultimately place the very future of all mythical creatures into question.





	1. Prologue

When we first arrived here a little over a week ago, our main concern was returning home again.  However, something shifted.  Even though our initial intention was still the same, something had changed.  We couldn't go back just yet, because it was not right that we could return to our home when others were being kept from theirs.  We had to see this through to the end.

 

Not only that, but if we didn't do what we could to help, for all we knew, we might not even have had a home to return to.


	2. Fog

"Alice, are you all right?" Upon hearing the inquiry, Alice looked up from her spot on the winding staircase, where she had been occasionally rubbing her temples almost absent-mindedly. In doing so, she found herself looking up at Jasper, his concern evident on his face as he hovered over her.

"I'm okay," Alice replied, smiling up at him. "Don't worry about me, Jazz."

"Alice, please don't say you're fine when I know you're not," Jasper requested. "You know I can tell when you're lying to me."

"I'm sorry," Alice apologized. "It's just that…I think something's going to happen, and soon."

"What is it?"

"That's just the problem. I can't tell exactly what. Something's keeping me from really seeing it clearly."

"You mean someone hasn't made a decision about it yet?"

"No, it's…not _quite_ like that. It's more like…how it was before Nessie was born, when I couldn't see Bella clearly. But at the same time, it's not that strong.

"Is there any danger?" Jasper asked urgently, his body tensing up instinctively.

"No," Alice quickly shook her head. "There's no danger. I can tell that much. What I can tell is…I believe there's someone we're about to meet. But when I try to see who it is, it's almost like trying to see someone through frosted glass. You can almost make them out, but not enough to see who it is."

"Maybe we should tell the others?" Jasper suggested.

"Not yet," Alice decided. "No, I…I don't think there's anything to worry about just yet. I think it will be better if we just wait for a bit before letting everyone else know."

"Alice, if something's going to happen," Jasper stated, "then they'll need to know about it, too."

"I know that," Alice agreed. "But…I think we've all been through enough these past few months, don't you? We almost lost everything. If you and I were any later in getting back, we _would_ have. For now, we should just focus on trying to recover from all of that. The last thing we need is something new to worry about.  I'll tell the others about this soon, Jasper. But, at least for now, let's just focus on the fact that we survived."

Jasper was quiet for a long moment, but then he let out a heavy sigh.

"All right," he relented. "But soon, Alice. Promise me that."

"I promise."

For a moment, it looked as if Jasper was about to say something else, but before he got the chance, they heard the familiar crunch of gravel out front, indicating that Carlise, Esme, Emmett and Rosalie had returned from their trip into town.

Normally, it wasn't necessary for so many of them to head out to buy food. While they did occasionally head out for the necessary amount of groceries to keep up the human charade, only one or two of them would have to volunteer. Today, however, called for more food than usual. In order to thank them for the part they played in alleviating the recent crisis, the Cullens had invited both wolf packs over for a celebratory dinner. Because of that, they needed to provide enough food to meet the unusually large appetites of the shape-shifters. And since Sam's pack had grown significantly because of recent events, that meant the amount of food would be so large, it might seem strange if anybody went out without bringing along extra help to carry everything back home.

With one final concerned glance over at Alice, Jasper crossed the room to hold the door for his family so they could carry in the numerous bags of groceries.

"I can't believe Seth and Embry have never played Escape Velocity Nova!" Emmett announced as he entered the house. "The game's been around for months now!"

"Not everyone owns a computer, Emmett," Rosalie replied. "Do they even _have_ computers on the reservation?"

"Please try to be nice to our guests when they get here," Esme requested. "After all, we do owe them our lives. Now, I'd like some help in straightening everything up before everyone arrives. I'm afraid we haven't cleaned in a while, not with…what almost happened." For a brief moment, Esme trailed off, the ghost of the fear and despair that had enveloped them all in the past few months appearing in her eyes. However, it was gone in the next second, and she turned to smile at her children while reaching out to lovingly squeeze Carlisle's arm.

"Emmett and I will help clean up," Jasper offered.

"Yeah, no problem," Emmett agreed, already heading off to get the vacuum.

"Rosalie, would you help in the kitchen?" Carlise asked. Rosalie wrinkled her nose at the thought of preparing food, but went off without protest.

"Oh, Alice?" Esme began once Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie had left the room. "Could you do me a favor? I wasn't sure how Sam and Jacob's packs liked their burgers cooked. I believe Edward and Bella brought Jacob along with them when they went out hunting around Mt. Queets with Nessie. Would you go and ask Jacob for me? I tried calling them earlier so I could ask him myself, but I suppose they're in a no-service area."

"Of course," Alice agreed without hesitation.

"Thank you," Esme smiled before heading off to join Rosalie in preparing the dinner, asking rhetorically if Sam would agree to exchanging phone numbers, since all enmity between their families had came to an end.

A short time later, Carlisle pulled his Mercedes out of the drive. He had volunteered to drive Alice over to Mt. Queets, stating that Alice's Porsche would stand out too much. However, Alice had a feeling that he was only using that as an excuse, and that his willingness to drive her was really because he was simply glad that she and Jasper hadn't really abandoned the Cullen family after all.

* * *

In the Queets Basin, Edward stood with his back against a tree, watching as Bella continued hunting, a look of deep pride and love on his face. Even though a part of him was still sickened at the knowledge of how close he'd came to never being able to share this time with his wife and daughter, the later he could hear a short distance away as she hunted with Jacob, he couldn't bring himself to dwell on it today.

"Did you finish before us again, Edward?" Bella asked, looking up from the deer she'd recently brought down.

"Not exactly," Edward shrugged, smiling warmly. "I was just noticing how much you've gotten the hang of hunting."

"I noticed that, too," Bella agreed proudly, glancing down at her clothing. "I didn't even rip anything this time." Looking back up, Bella was able to notice the look that appeared in Edward's eyes for the briefest moment. In response, Bella arched an eyebrow. Something about that look reminded her of one that that she'd seen on his face after her first hunt, when she'd taken on a mountain lion. "You're not disappointed about that, are you?"

Instead of replying, Edward simply cocked his head to one side, the hints of a smile forming at the corners of his mouth. With a smile of her own, Bella abandoned her kill and was at Edward's side in a flash, placing a hand on his cheek. Meeting her eyes, Edward didn't even try to holding back his crooked smile before leaning in to kiss her. Just as the kiss began to grow in intensity, Edward pulled back, glancing off into the trees.

"Sorry, love," he apologized, stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers. "But we're about to have some company." Sure enough, Bella caught the familiar scent of Carlisle and Alice on the breeze.

"Alice, Carlisle," Bella greeted them as they stepped into view. "Is anything wrong?"

"No, of course not," Carlisle assured.

"Esme just wanted to ask Jacob how she should prepare the burgers for the celebratory dinner tonight," Alice continued. "She tried to call, but apparently you didn't have reception out here."

Before another word could be said, the sound of Jacob's howl cut through the air. In unison, the four vampires turned in the direction of the sound, recognizing the howl's tone. Jacob was calling them.

"Edward," Carlisle was the first to speak. "Can you tell what it is Jacob wants?"

"No," Edward shook his head, frowning in confusion. "I…I'm not sure what's going on." Without another word, everyone dashed off through the trees to join Jacob and Renesmee, with Edward in the lead. After a few yards, they reached a stream where Renesmee could be seen crouched on a rock. Seconds after they arrived at the stream, Jacob emerged from behind a nearby bush, where he'd phased back into his human form.

"Jacob?" Edward began, approaching him. "What's going on? Your thoughts weren't very clear."

"I'm not sure," Jacob shrugged. "Nessie and I were finished hunting and we were about to head back to join you and Bella. But then…we noticed that." Jacob pointed over to his left at a thick patch of fog that had risen up among the trees.

"You called us over…to look at fog?" Bella asked in confusion. "Jake, fog happens all the time out here."

"Yeah, but does fog form in less than five seconds?" Jacob pointed out seriously. "That's why I called you guys. That fog wasn't even there a minute ago."

As this sank in, everyone continued to stare at the unusual formation until Renesmee broke the silence.

"Mommy?" she blinked, climbing off the rock and taking a few hesitant steps closer to the fog. "The fog's coming closer." Sure enough, when everyone looked over, they all saw that the fog was swiftly rolling towards them. In a matter of seconds, the fog had completely enveloped them.

"What's going on?" Bella whispered.

"Wait," Alice spoke up. "Do you smell that?" Upon taking a moment to smell the air, Bella was able to notice a heavy, musty earthy smell that seemed to come from everywhere.

"It smells like a swamp," Jacob noted. "But there aren't any swamps near here."

"Perhaps we should head back to the car," Edward suggested. "I don't like this, and because Jacob and Nessie are with us, we don't even have Alice's visions to tell if there's danger."

Before anyone could reply to Edward's concern, a loud cracking sound was heard, followed by a few heavy footsteps.

"Jacob!" Carlisle cried out suddenly. "Behind you!" Upon looking over his shoulder, Jacob only had enough time to make out a massive shadow looming behind him before a large, heavy tree branch came crashing down, only just missing him by inches.

"What was _that_?" Jacob exclaimed, staggering back as Edward moved protectively in front of Bella and Renesmee.

As everyone stared at the shadow, it stepped into view, revealing itself as a large, grotesque human-like figure with very dark, leathery green skin. In its hand was the tree branch, which it was wielding like a club.


	3. The Monster Hunters

The moment the creature came into view, it let out a bellowing roar and swung the tree branch down at Jacob and the Cullens. It was only their heightened speed that saved them from being struck by the improvised club. However, when they turned to run, they found the fog had completely dissipated, and everything around them had completely changed. Even though they had been in a mountain valley moments before, they were now in the middle of a large woodland. The shock of seeing the unfamiliar surroundings momentarily froze them all where they stood.

With a deep grunt, the hulking creature turned towards them. As if sizing them up, its small black eyes swiveled over each of their faces. After a few moments, however, it finally seemed to focus on Renesmee. Noticing this at the same time, Edward and Bella lunged forward with dual growls to shield her while Jacob simultaneously phased within seconds. Showing no indication that it even noticed Jacob's change, the creature lumbered forward, lifting its club to strike.

At that very moment, a distinct swishing sound was heard, and a small arrow embedded itself into the creature's wrist. With a growl of surprised pain, the creature turned to glance in the direction the arrow had come from, just as a young man stepped into view from behind a tree. The man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, was aiming a crossbow at the creature.

"Nobody move," the young man instructed, not taking his eyes off the creature. "I mean it. All of you stay where you are."

"What's he doing?" Carlisle exclaimed. "He can't possibly expect to stop something that big with only a crossbow."

"No." Edward frowned, staring at the young human in confusion. "He… he's not _planning_ to take him down with the crossbow."

"Wait," Bella whispered. "Do you smell that?" It was only then that they all noticed a new scent. Even though they didn't recognize it, there was no mistaking the scent of a vampire. It was obvious from the strength of the smell that the unfamiliar vampire was very close by, but keeping out of sight.

Before anyone could begin to decide what to do about the unseen vampire, the club-wielding creature took a few threatening steps towards the human. Noticing that it was starting to lift the club once again, Jacob tensed up, preparing to lunge forward in order to protect the young man. However, before he could do so, the human called out to someone.

"Do it, Vermundr!" he yelled. No sooner was this said, the vampire they had all smelled burst out from the underbrush. With one leap, he latched on to the creature's shoulder, biting down into its skin. With a bellowing roar, the creature stumbled back a few steps before reaching up with its club-free hand, tearing the new vampire off him and throwing him at a nearby tree, which broke in two from the impact. When the creature started moving towards the broken tree, no doubt going for the vampire, the human fired the crossbow once again. This time, the crossbow bolt embedded itself in the creature's ankle. Because of this, the creature's attention went back to the human and he lumbered over, lifting the club for a final time.

In unison, Jacob and Edward prepared to charge forward to help the human, but before they could move, the other vampire was back. Moving at vampire speed, he stepped in between the human and the creature, wrapping his arms around the creature's club arm. Without a moment's hesitation, the vampire twisted the arm around, completely ripping it right off the creature's body and drenching the ground with thick black blood that smelled strongly of swamp water and mud. The creature's agonized roar of pain echoed through the air as it stumbled backward and crashed down. Not giving the fallen creature a chance to get up again, the vampire was standing over the monster's head in a flash, unsheathing a sword that had been strapped to his back.

Edward, undoubtedly hearing what the vampire was planning to do, stiffened in shock and lurched forward. He quickly covered Renesmee's eyes and blocked Bella's view as well, just in time to keep them from seeing the vampire plunging the sword into the creature's skull, piercing the brain in the process.

The aftermath of the killing was marked with a deafening silence as everyone watched the vampire carelessly wipe the creature's onyx blood off the sword's blade. Not a hint of remorse was visible in his expression. It was Bella who spoke first.

"You… you killed him," she whispered in stunned horror. In response, the vampire snapped his head towards her, his serious expression remaining.

"And what would you have suggested I do?" he challenged in a deep, rumbling voice that was not unlike thunder.

"More importantly," the human demanded sternly, now training his crossbow in the general direction of the Cullens. "What is _your_ business in these woods?"

"I do not believe that is necessary, Abraham," the vampire announced, continuing to look at the Cullens. "Just take a good look at their eye color and you'll see what I mean." The human momentarily glanced over at the vampire before turning back to the Cullens, studying each of their faces. After a few seconds, he lowered the crossbow.

"My apologies, friends," he said, smiling kindly. "I did not realize you were Gold Eyes."

"Gold Eyes?" Carlisle repeated the unfamiliar term.

"That is what you are, is it not?" the human asked. "Judging by your eyes, what else can we conclude but that you _also_ refuse to feed on humans?"

"Unless the gold coloring is simply a clever farce," the vampire spoke up, making eye contact with Carlisle. It was only then that the Cullens had the chance to see that the new vampire's eyes were also a light topaz.

"You're a vegetarian, too," Alice stated. The vampire didn't reply right away, but continued to study Carlisle. Finally, he turned to face Alice.

"I have to admit, I never thought of using that particular term for it," he consented. "In any event, I gather you lot have an interesting story to tell."

"I could say the same about you," Edward pointed out, looking down at the dead creature as he spoke. "To start with, what exactly was that thing? None of us have ever seen something like it."

"I don't suppose you have," the vampire replied, now smiling openly.

"First thing is first," the human stated. "My name is Abraham. My partner here is Vermundr. Once again, I am sorry for being defensive when we first met. However, you can never be too careful when meeting new vampires. I'm sure you can understand why."

After the Cullens had introduced themselves to Abraham and Vermundr, Abraham continued to explain their story.

"To answer Edward's earlier question, that creature was a troll. A very nasty one, too," Abraham announced. "It attacked a nearby town and abducted a man who lived there. Vermundr and I were tracking it down to try and see if we could find him."

"And did you?" Bella asked. "Find the man the troll took, I mean."

"Only the parts it didn't like," Vermundr replied grimly. "What else could we do but make sure the man's family knew the creature responsible was dealt with?"

"Speaking of that family," Abraham continued sadly. "I suppose I should go and inform them that we were too late."

"Perhaps we should also take them back to the estate with us," Vermundr suggested. "After all, with their patriarch gone, they might not have anywhere else to go."

"I think that is a good idea," Abraham agreed. "I'm sure Cassie will be able to help them. Although, it might be best if you go by foot, Vermundr; people around here might be able to tolerate your presence because they're used to you, but I don't think they'll be as… understanding if a group of strange vampires accompanied us back." As he said this, Abraham turned to face the Cullens. "That is, if you lot want to come along. We will always welcome other Gold Eyes as guests in our home, but we will not force you to come along."

"Abraham," Vermundr spoke before anyone could respond to Abraham's invitation. A strong note of uncertainty was detectable in his voice. "Do… do you really think it's wise to have them _all_ come back with us?" When everyone glanced over at Vermundr, they noticed he was staring at Jacob, who was still in his wolf form, with a wary expression on his face.

"Vermundr," Carlisle responded, coming to the conclusion that Vermundr was mistaking Jacob's identity. "I can understand how it might look, but I promise you Jacob isn't what you think he is."

"Believe it or not, Carlisle," Vermundr replied. "I understand more than you might think. But… that's not _quite_ what I'm talking about. I was more worried about…" Vermundr trailed off with a frown. "Never mind. Could he perhaps change back to his human form first?" In response, Jacob huffed through his nose, looking back at the remnants of his clothing which lay in tattered shreds nearby.

"Hmmm." Edward was barely able to hold back a chuckle. "I don't suppose you have some spare clothes for Jacob on you, do you?"

"As a matter of fact," Abraham answered. "We do have some spare clothing back in the wagon. Vermundr and I always bring along extra pairs in case the things we're wearing when we're doing our job get damaged. If you'd like, Vermundr could fetch some for you. That is, if _you're_ agreeable, my friend?"

"Of course," Vermundr agreed with a quick nod.

"I think I'd better go with him," Alice whispered to her family.

"Are you sure?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, for starters, someone will need to help pick out something that will fit Jacob," Alice pointed out. "I don't think Vermundr will know his sizes. But apart from that, I'd like to try and see if there might be any danger if we go back with them. I can't do that with Jacob and Nessie nearby."

"But what if Vermundr tries to attack you when you're alone?" Bella pointed out.

"I don't think he will," Edward reassured. "He's not planning on deceiving us. As far as he and Abraham are concerned, the fact that we're vegetarians automatically means that we're their friends."

As Vermundr slipped away to fetch clothes for Jacob with Alice following closely behind, Bella turned to Abraham, suddenly thinking of a new question.

"What did you mean by doing your job?"

"That's what they do," Edward explained before Abraham could open his mouth. "They're what you could call monster hunters. As in this case, humans hire them to go after various monsters."

"You make it sound as if we are simply in it for the profit," Abraham noted. "If that was the only thing we cared about, do you really think we would have done anything when that poor woman came to us after the troll took away her husband? After all, there was no guarantee that we'd be able to bring him back alive, and it would be cruel to demand payment if that was the case.

"Now, I have to ask you to accept our apologies once again, but I do have a responsibility to the victim's widow at the moment. I suppose I should get that over with. So, only if you're willing, once Vermundr and Alice come back with the clothes for Jacob, Vermundr will show you the way back to our estate. As I've said before, Gold Eyes are always welcome in our home."

After a brief pause, Renesmee tugged Bella's arm, holding up her hand. Realizing what she wanted, Bella crouched down, allowing her daughter to place her hand against her cheek.

"Abraham?" Bella asked, voicing Renesmee's thoughts. "Could you please tell us where we are, first?" Instantly, Abraham fixed her with a questioning look.

"Well, you're in the middle of Epping Forest, of course."

"Epping Forest?" Carlisle spoke in shock. "How is that possible?"

"Where's Epping Forest?" Renesmee asked, speaking for the first time.

"It's a woodland in south-east England," Carlisle explained.

"England?" Bella repeated in confusion. "How can we be in England? We were in Washington State a few minutes ago!"

"I think it might be worse than that, love," Edward announced, suddenly turning to face the woods. "Alice found something in the wagon." No sooner had this been said, Alice dashed into view, her eyes wide in shock. In her hand she held what looked like a sheet of paper. Very slowly, she held it up for everyone to see, revealing it as a newspaper with the words _The London Gazette_ written across the top. Then she silently pointed to the date on the newspaper.

_March 21st 1687_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think so far. I always appreciate feedback.


	4. AVH

"1687!" Bella cried, gaping at the newspaper's date in shock. "How did we….? It's not possible, is it?" How could we have gone back 320 years into the past?"

"Simple," Vermundr replied, reappearing among them and tossing a burlap sack filled with spare clothing over to Jacob, who promptly carried it off in his mouth. "After all, there is only one thing that could cause that smell."

"Smell? What smell?" Carlisle asked. Vermundr smiled in response to the question.

"I'm not all that surprised you didn't notice it earlier. It is a rather subtle scent if you aren't already well-acquainted with it. However, if you take a good sniff, you lot should be able to notice a faint smell around you. You could almost describe it as a mixture of… burnt wood and melted iron. There's only one thing that could cause that smell. Magic."

"I had wondered about your unusual clothing," Abraham commented, glancing down at the modern-day clothing from the 21st century that the Cullens were wearing. "I suppose this explains it. You are not from this time."

"But how could we have been brought here by magic?" Alice asked. "We don't know anyone who uses it."

"The fog," Edward spoke in realization. "That fog that came out of nowhere, only to disappear once the troll appeared."

"But where did the fog come from?" Bella questioned. "If it was created by magic, who cast the spell?"

"And how do we get back?" Jacob asked, stepping back out of the bushes, smoothing out the loose-fitting shirt he had changed into. "There is a way back, isn't there." Abraham pursed his lips in contemplation for a long moment before sharing a pointed glance with Vermundr.

"There… might be a way," he spoke slowly. "But it's not going to be easy. In fact, it might even be impossible."

" _Might_ be impossible?" Vermundr let out a half growl of disgruntlement. "Abraham, we are speaking about the same Baba Yaga, are we not?"

"Who's Baba Yaga?" Alice spoke up.

"An old gypsy witch Vermundr and I are acquainted with." Abraham explained. "And a very powerful one at that. Unfortunately, Baba Yaga is a very disagreeable woman, and she isn't known to use her magic to benefit others. It will not help that she has a particular dislike for Vermundr and myself. You see… a few years back, Vermundr and I were dealing with a hobgoblin, and we inadvertently spooked a nearby centicore herd. The centicore stampede went right through Baba Yaga's garden, and left it completely trampled. Baba Yaga's abhorred us ever since.

"So, as you can conclude, it will not be an easy task to convince Baba Yaga to help you get back to your time. However, she is the most powerful witch we know, and therefore, our only option."

"In that case, we'll have to risk it," Carlisle decided. "When can you take us to see her?"

"I'm afraid that will have to wait until tomorrow morning," Abraham responded apologetically. "It is a half-day's journey to Baba Yaga's dwelling, and the day will be done before we even reach midway. It is extremely foolish to travel anywhere after sundown. Believe what I say when I tell you that there are far worse things than trolls lurking along the road at night. There is nothing else we can do but to return to the estate and set off shortly after dawn."

"If you're ready, I can lead you to the estate now," Vermundr offered. "Like Abraham said, the night is coming nearer every moment, and I'd feel better if we were both home before the sun sets. Once we're there, we'll have plenty of time to talk. After all, I'm sure you have just as much interest in us as we have about you and what the world is like in your time."

"In that case, lead the way," Edward suggested, fixing him with a look that he usually adopted when he was having a nonverbal conversation with Alice.

"All right then," Abraham said, turning to Vermundr. "I'll see you back home, then."

"Safe journey, my friend," Vermundr replied. Then, much to the confusion, surprise, and, in Jacob's case mild disgust, Abraham and Vermundr spat into their palms in unison before shaking hands. Without another word, Abraham turned and slipped off into the surrounding vegetation.

"What was that about?" Jacob asked in revulsion. "He just…willingly made contact with your…"

"I would be happy to explain it to you," Vermundr answered with a sly grin. "Unless you'd like to do so for me, Edward?"

"I take it you're not even going to try to hide it anymore, are you?" Edward returned the smile.

"Considering that you no doubt already know all about my secrets, and will undoubtedly tell the rest of you family about it before long, I see no point in trying to keep them covered up," Vermundr shrugged.

"What are you two talking about?" Carlisle stepped in, voicing everyone's question.

"Vermundr has a gift of his own," Edward announced. "We all know that Alice can see the future. Vermundr is, in a way, the exact opposite. He sees the past. More specifically, your personal past. All he has to do is make eye contact with someone, and he'll know their entire history. That's what he was doing earlier, when he was studying you, Carlisle. He was checking to see where we came from, to make absolutely sure that we were trustworthy."

"So…he knows everything about us now?" Bella realized.

"I am sorry if you feel it is an invasion of privacy," Vermundr apologized. "Please understand that I was simply trying to ensure you would not be a danger to Abraham. For reasons I do not wish to go into at the moment, we are always leery of newcomers, and my first priority will always be the safety of my family. And this is especially true when it comes to Abraham."

"Out of curiosity," Alice began. "We know quite a bit about this time period, since Carlisle was changed around this time. From what I've always been able to tell, the vampires of this century were greatly feared by humans. So… how did you end up being partnered to a human who chases after monsters?"

"That is a very good question," Vermundr commented, motioning for everyone to follow him as he started striding off. "I hope you'll forgive me, but I'm going to have to ask you to wait until we're back at the estate with Abraham. He's much better at telling that story than I am. After all, it is really his story, not mine. All I can say is that I owe Abraham far more than I can ever repay him, no matter how long I walk this Earth."

As Vermundr continued to lead the way through the woods, the Cullens followed him in silence. Even though his last statement was far from hostile or exasperated, there was still a subtle undertone in his voice that suggested he was through talking for the time being. However, this gave them all a chance to think about their situation. While it had been established that they had somehow ended up going back in time by some sort of magic, there was still the question of where the magic had came from. No matter how hard they thought back to earlier, no one could remember smelling anyone else around at the time the fog had first appeared. If someone had cast the spell that sent them here, why hadn't they been able to tell somebody else was around?

Then, there was the question of Baba Yaga. While Abraham and Vermundr had made it clear that she was their best chance of getting back home to their time, there was still the possibility that she would not be willing to help. What would they do if that ended up being the case? Would they have to simply adjust to living in this time and wait until they reached the year 2007 again before returning to Forks? Could they really wait that long before seeing their families again?

"I'm sorry," Alice spoke after they'd traveled for a few miles in silence. "I should have mentioned it to you this morning."

"Mentioned what, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"I… Earlier, I _did_ sense something, before you, Esme, Emmett and Rosalie came back from town," she admitted. "But it wasn't very clear at all. Like I told Jasper, it was almost like trying to see through frosted glass. I was going to tell you all tomorrow because I didn't want to keep anyone from enjoying the party we were supposed to have today. Maybe…this is what I was seeing."

"Thanks for the warning, Alice," Jacob sighed.

"Come on, Jake," Bella reasoned. "She couldn't have known this would have happened. She just said the vision wasn't clear. There was no way she could have known what it meant."

"But why wasn't it clear?" Alice wondered again. "If this was what I was seeing, then why was it so faint?"

"Hasn't it been established that you can just see the future?" Vermudr inputted, making everyone nearly start. They hadn't realized that he had stopped walking and had turned to face them.

"What's that got to do with it?" Jacob questioned.

"Well, it makes sense to me," Vermundr explained. "If Alice can just see the future, then she wouldn't have been able to clearly see going back in time, would she? Because to do that, she'd have to see the past as well. Then again, I have never given too much thought to the extra gifts some vampires have. Abraham's the thinker, not me. You'd have better luck talking to him about it.  Anyway, we've here."

With that, Vermundr pushed aside a thick curtain of lush branches and vines, revealing a perfectly square clearing with a two story house constructed from limestone standing in the exact center. A thick cover of English Ivy was growing up the northern side of the house, reaching up to just below the sill of the second story windows. Behind the house, there appeared to be a small horse stable, with a doorless shed constructed from the same material as the house a short distance away.

"Well, there it is," Vermundr announced, smiling at the sight of the house. "Home. And since the wagon is already there by the stable, I suppose Abraham has beaten us here."

"This is where you live?" Bella inquired.

"Well, I realize it might not compare to that white house you lot are from," Vermundr chuckled. "But I like to think Abraham did more than a passable job."

"Wait a minute!" Jacob cried. "You're saying this Abraham made this house?"

"Well, you didn't actually think he started out chasing after beasts and monsters, did you?" Vermundr pointed out, a teasing tone in his voice. "He didn't start doing that until after we met." Still chuckling to himself, Vermundr led everyone up to the limestone house to lead them indoors, the setting sun shining down on all of them as they went.

Inside, the house was revealed to be modestly furnished, but the details that had gone into the design more than made up for it. A stairwell with an elaborately carved railing wrapping itself along the left and back walls, ending with a platform built into the right wall. Two arching doorways, one straight ahead and the other to the right, beneath the platform, could also be seen. On the wall by the door, there was a plaque constructed of a rich chestnut colored wood and what looked like pure silver, where Abraham's crossbow had been left hanging.

"Abraham really built all of this?" Alice asked in amazement.

"Well, it was his design," Vermundr admitted. "But we shared the actual manual work."

At that moment, two women appeared through the doorway to the right, both dressed in simple but pretty dresses. The first woman looked quite young, with long brown hair pulled back into a loose, looping bun, while the second woman was at least twenty years older, with heavy curls and a few hints of forming wrinkles on her face. The younger woman smiled openly upon seeing them, but her companion instantly froze on the spot, staring at everyone with a sudden look of wariness.

"Vermundr, welcome back!" the first woman greeted happily, stepping forward and embracing him like a brother.

"Good to be back, Cassie," Vermundr replied with a wide smile, casually patting her back. Immediately, the other woman let out a soft sound, almost like a frightened whimper.

"Oh, Felicity," Cassie turned back to the other woman, a sympathetic look on her face. "Abraham and I have already told you. You have no real reason to be fearful of Vermundr. He would never harm you or your children."

"No, of course not," Vermundr agreed. "You have my word on that." After a moment of silence, the woman they'd called Felicity made a slight movement, as if she was about to step forward but lost her nerve to do so.

"Forgive me, Cassandra," she apologized. "But I better go back and see to the kitchens." Without another word, Felicity retreated back the way she came.

"Oh, dear," Cassie sighed. "And I thought I'm managed to alleviate her fears about being here."

"It is quite  all right, Cassie," Vermundr announced, giving her a small smile. "After all, she's just lost her husband. It would be unrealistic to expect her to adjust so soon. And apart from that, it is in her nature as a human to have fear of my lot. This we cannot change. Do not forget that it also took you some time before you became used to me."

"Well," Cassie began, mirroring his smile. "I suppose you do have a point.  I _was_ slightly alarmed when I first saw you." At these words, Vermundr threw his head back, giving a loud, boisterous laugh.

"'Alarmed', she says," he chuckled. "You threw a knife at my head. Along with a skillet, a ladle, and a _ham bone_."

"And you simply stood there with a dumbfounded look on your face," Cassie recollected. "Staring at me as if I had suddenly sprouted a pair of antlers."

"And could you blame me?" Vermundr asked with a large grin. "You were throwing random objects at a vampire, as if that would actually accomplish something."

"Well, fortunately for me, the vampire I was throwing random objects at was you," Cassie replied before turning to face the Cullens. "And these must be the ones Abraham said you encountered while taking out the troll."

"Yes, these would be them," Vermundr confirmed. Without further preamble, Cassie gave a respectful curtsy.

"Welcome, dear friends," she greeted. "You may call me Cassie. Please consider this your home as long as you are here. If you wish it, Abraham is waiting for all of you in the withdrawing chamber. You can wait there while I continue to prepare tonight's supper. I trust you will be hungry, Mr. Black, seeing as you clearly eat human food."

"You know my name?" Jacob asked in surprise.

"Abraham mentioned that one of our visitors from the future, the one who bore that particular name, was not a blood drinker. Judging from the color of your darker skin, I can only conclude that he was referring to you.  Now I pray you will excuse me. Supper will not prepare itself. And before I go, Vermundr, I have to thank you again for bringing back those rabbits last night. It's been a while since I was able to make quarry stew."

"Next time I go out, I'll bring you back a wild boar," Vermundr promised, removing his sword from his back and hanging it up on the plaque on the wall, next to Abraham's crossbow.

"That would be very much appreciated," Cassie smiled before slipping away through a nearby door, no doubt returning to the kitchens.

"The withdrawing chamber is down this hall," Vermundr stated, gesturing to a small hallway by the staircase. "Please follow me." With that, Vermundr led the way through the house. However, before she could follow, Bella happened to glance at the plaque where the sword and crossbow had been left hanging, noticing the three letters that had been engraved on the wooden surface.

"A.V.H.," she whispered, too quietly for anyone else to hear.


	5. Genisis

The Cullens followed the direction Vermundr had gone off in and entered a large room just beyond the bordering staircase. Unlike the rest of the house, this room was well decorated. Plenty of comfortable looking chairs and a plush sofa was arranged over a thick, colorful rug. The walls were lined with well-stocked bookshelves, and over at the far wall was a roaring fire burning inside a huge fireplace. On the wall above the mantle was a large oil painting that was framed in silver. In the painting, Cassie was seated in a chair, a thin grey cat curled up on her lap, with Abraham and Vermundr standing on either side of her.

A slight movement in the corner of the room caught everyone's attention. Abraham and Vermundr were both standing next to a small table that held two wine decanters, one made from crystal and the other from silver. From the looks of things, Vermundr was having a quick whispered conversation with Abraham. Nodding at whatever Vermundr had told him, Abraham turned to face the Cullens.

"I am glad you arrived safely," he announced. "I was just starting to get concerned."

"Well, we did have to take the roundabout way," Vermundr replied. "Like you said, most humans around these parts might react poorly to seeing a group of unfamiliar vampires. I had to try and steer clear of any area where they've been known to frequent."

"Very wise call, my friend," Abraham complemented. Once again, he turned to the Cullens, extending an arm to gesture to the chairs arranged in the room. "Now then, please make yourselves at home. Vermundr has just been telling me that you had expressed an interest in how our partnership was formed. In exchange for your story, I would be glad to relate that story to you all now."

Out of courtesy, everyone selected one of the chairs, with Renesmee taking a place on Bella's lap. As for Vermundr and Abraham, they sat down together on the sofa. Once everyone was settled, Abraham started to open his mouth, but a small sound interrupted before he could begin. The sound came from a thin grey cat that had appeared in the doorway. It was the same grey cat that was featured in the oil painting. The cat, after blinking over at the Cullens with large green and yellow eyes, walked purposely into the room with her tail held straight up in the air. Much to the further surprise of the Cullens and Jacob, the cat calmly leapt up onto Vermundr's lap, where she curled up with a series of loud, contented purrs.

"Lo, Grimalkin," Vermundr greeted, stroking one finger over the cat's head.

"Wait a minute!" Edward cried, voicing the thought on everyone's mind. "Animals like that cat have always been repelled by vampires! It's in their very nature to avoid us. So how can that cat actually curl up….?"

"Yes, that is true," Abraham interrupted with a smile. "Most animals _wouldn't_ be able to live alongside a vampire. But Grimalkin is a very unique case. Before she came to live here with us, Grimalkin was owned by the gypsy witch, Baba Yaga. We figure that her previous life of being constantly exposed to Baba Yaga's magic left some lasting effects on Grimalkin. Since she came to live here, we've all had reason to suspect that there is some magic in her now, which enables her to peacefully coexist with Vermundr. And I'm sure she'll be just as accepting of all of you as well."

For a few seconds, the Cullens were all silent, still trying to get their minds around the unexpected development with the cat Grimalkin. It was Carlisle who finally decided to redirect the conversation back to the original topic.

"So then," he said. "Vermundr had said earlier that the story of how you met was really your story, Abraham."

Abraham smiled and nodded in confirmation. "My true origins, I can honestly say, will never be fully known," he began. "As long as I can remember, I had always lived under the roof of Master Sandford, the stone mason. I had known from an early age that he was not my father, but he had found me alone and abandoned when I was very small. He took me in, and from the moment I could walk and carry the weight, I was expected to do my part. Whether it was buying food from the grocer in town or helping him maintain the tools of his trade.

"When I became old enough, Master Sandford made me his apprentice. I would be lying if I told you that it was not extremely difficult. Master Sandford was a hard man, and because of his pride in his work, he demanded nothing short of excellence in anyone learning under his tutelage. However, I could not refuse the apprenticeship, even if I had wanted to. As an orphaned urchin, there were no other prospects for me. I do not know what life is like in the time you are from, but in this world, if someone with my public standing did not have a master to learn a trade from, they would face imprisonment.

"I was nearing the end of the third year of my apprenticeship when everything ended. Master Sandford and I were heading out to a quarry we knew of to get enough stone to help repair a church wall. We'd made the journey many times, so it was nothing but routine to hitch our horse to the cart and set off for the quarry. However, this time, we never got there. When we were still ten miles away from the quarry, our horse suddenly…. Well, spooked would be a poor description for the state he was in. Petrified would be a far better word. Without any premeditation, the horse started to panic, with his eyes rolling back into his head, and he strained against the harness with what I imagine was his full strength. And that behavior was very unusual. The horse had always been reliable, and had never acted like this before. What's more, neither Master Sandford nor I could see anything that would make him act that way.

"That was when I saw a sudden movement among the trees. It was just out of the corner of my eye, but I knew even then that there was something there. When I told Master Sandford about it, he told me to stay with the horse while he left the path to see what was lurking around. While I waited, I tried everything I could think of to calm the horse down. Nothing worked, even when I tried to offer him the apples he never could resist. Then I heard Master Sandford suddenly crying out, but his scream cut off almost instantly.

"To this day, I don't know what I was thinking. I know the logical thing to do after hearing Master Sandford's scream like that was to run, but instead, I found myself moving off the path to see what had happened. What I found was Master Sandford dead on the ground. His neck was bent at an unnatural angle. I remember standing there for what felt like hours, staring at Master Sandford's body in shock. And then… I saw him. Standing a short distance away was a man I'd never seen before. But I knew what he was the second I saw him. Ever since I was little, I remember Master Sandford telling me stories, especially late at night when he had been drinking his ale, about terrifying creatures that were nothing more than demons that lived only to prey on innocents. Monsters that would not hesitate to kill you on sight."

"Vampires," Edward spoke up, filling in the blanks to the one-sided description.

"Exactly," Abraham confirmed. "As scared as I was at seeing that vampire standing there, it was overpowered by the anger I felt. Master Sandford had took me in and offered me a future. He was all I had in the world. And now, he was dead, and all because of that creature. Looking back, I know that what I did next was foolish. It would have been completely pointless, but I admittedly was not thinking then. I charged forward, wanting nothing more than to hurt the vampire who killed Master Sandford. But I never got the chance. At the last possible second, someone tackled me from behind. When I looked over my shoulder, I found myself staring up into the burning red eyes of a second vampire.

"In that very moment, I was sure that I was about to die. Master Sandford had always told me that once a vampire had you in their grasp, they would kill you without hesitation. All I could do was to wait for this vampire to strike. But nothing happened. Instead of killing me, the vampire glanced over to where the first vampire had been standing and let out a low, snarling growl. The thing that struck me the most in that moment was the expression that appeared on his face when he growled. It was one of furious frustration. I gathered enough courage to take my eyes off the vampire that was pinning me down to look at the other one, only to see that he had clearly already run off. The moment I noticed this, the second vampire let me up. Very briefly, he glanced over at Master Sandford's body, and then looked back down at me. To this day, I remember the look that vampire gave me. It was almost as if he felt sympathy for me. I got the impression that he was about to say something, but if he was, he must have changed his mind. In the next instant, he was gone, leaving me alone with Master Sandford's body."

Abraham paused in his narrative to give a small smile of remembrance before continuing. "In case you are still wondering, the vampire who spared my life that day was Vermundr."

"What happened then?" Alice asked.

"After burying Master Sandford's body," Abraham continued. "I didn't know what to do then. After a day or so, I decided my best chance of survival was to try and find a new master to complete my apprenticeship with. Although, I wasn't quite sure how to go about looking, but I thought I would be better off trying my luck in the more populated cities, such as London or Bristol. I sold the horse and most of Master Sandford's possessions to collect enough money for the journey before setting out. However, when you're traveling by foot, the next town is a two or three day journey away. That meant spending a few nights out in the woods.

"On that first day of traveling, it was very hot. I remember because around midday, the heat began to get to me. I decided to stop at a forest stream to cool off. As I was splashing the water over my face, I saw a something reflected in the water which made me freeze in place. I looked up to confirm what I'd seen, and sure enough, Vermundr was crouched on the opposite bank, watching me silently. For a long moment, we just continued looking at each other before Vermundr finally moved, carefully throwing something he had been holding over to me. When I looked at the object after it landed beside me, I saw it was a dead rabbit. It took me a few seconds for me to understand that, for some reason, he had gone through the trouble of catching the rabbit for me to eat. And once I figured that out, that was when Vermundr finally spoke.

"'I am sorry for your companion,' he'd said. 'If I had gotten there any sooner, he would not have died. I give you my word that he will be avenged.'"

"I was extremely surprised when I heard Vermundr's voice. After all those stories Master Sandford had told me about vampires, I imagined that they would sound like demons when they spoke; harsh and inhuman. But while Vermundr's voice was deep and rumbled like thunder, he was speaking in a civil manner. And he was actually offering condolences to me. It just didn't make sense to me, especially after everything I had been told about vampires growing up."

"I suppose my overwhelming confusion at that moment prevented me from remembering if I said anything after that, even to this day, but I must have asked Vermundr why he was offering to go after the vampire who killed Master Sandford, which was one of the many questions I was suddenly plagued with, because he then began to tell me where he'd come from. He told me that, long ago, he had lived in a northern village, where he held a place of honor as one of the village's strongest warriors. In those days, while he had many trusted kinsmen, there was no one he trusted more than his younger sister, Brynhildr, who was among the rare women who were strong enough to stand among the warrior men in battle. In fact, it was believed by many that most of the victories secured by their village, if not all, were because of the combined force of Vermundr and Brynhildr.

"Vermundr proceeded to tell me about one particularly cold winter night, when he had awoken to the sound of terrified screams. It turned out that a group of vampires were attacking the village. Like the rest of the village warriors, Vermundr and his sister, Brynhildr, took up arms to try and defend their home and the people in it. But as you can undoubtedly conclude, their manmade weapons were useless against the attacking vampires. In the end, the village was completely decimated and everyone killed. All except for Vermundr, and in his case, you just have to look at him and see what he is now to know how he was able to survive the massacre.

"After that night, Vermundr had been forever searching for one particular vampire; the one he and Brynhildr had tried to take on together. Even though he knew that his human village was attacked by a whole group of vampires, or to use the term Vermundr and I later chose to refer to all vampires who fed on human blood, Red Eyes, it was that Red Eye whose face Vermundr remembered the most strongly. In addition, it was that Red Eye who was undoubtedly the one responsible for the death of Brynhildr. You see, in the society that Vermundr lived in during his human life, family loyalty was very important. If you had a dispute with one man, then you would have to contend with that man's entire family as well. In fact, that was how many wars were started in the world Vermundr came from."

"So, what did this have to do with the vampire who killed Master Sandford?" Jacob asked.

"Well, by some curious happenstance," Abraham chucked. "The vampire who was responsible for the death of Master Sandford and the one who Vermundr had been searching for were one and the same. Once we had established that, I thought it would be best to work together. After all, we both shared a vendetta against this vampire, so it made sense for us to join forces. But Vermundr refused my help."

"Of course I did," Vermundr inputted, speaking up for the first time since Abraham's story began. "You were just a breakable human. Unfortunately, you were most persistent in coming along, no matter what I did to try and get rid of you, or how many times I tried to tell you that if you tried to take on the vampire in question, you would be dead in two seconds."

"Hmmm," Abraham responded, grinning. "Proved you wrong in the end, didn't I?"

"That you did," Vermundr agreed. "But in my defense, not even you knew how useful you would be back then."

"How did he prove you wrong?" Renesmee spoke up, looking up at Vermundr.

"Well," Vermundr began slowly, sharing a look with Abraham. "That is... a bit of a long story. Even when we first took notice of it, it was a while before we realized what was going on. And once we did, it took a bit longer before we came to terms with it."

"What are you talking about?" Jacob questioned.

"Tell me, Jacob," Abraham replied with a smug grin. "Do you like to read?" The moment Abraham finished his question, Jacob felt something lightly bump against the side of his head. Turning, he stared in shock at a thick book hovering in midair right next to him.

"Are you doing that!" Bella cried, looking from the book to Abraham, whose eyes remained focused on the tome.

"Like Vermundr said," Abraham answered, as the book was lowered to rest on a nearby table. "It took me a while to accept it. When I first found out that I could do this, I was nothing short of terrified. I was fearful that I had fallen under possession, or that I was somehow using black magic of some kind. But as time went on, I began to see the benefits of it. And once I accepted it as just another part of me, it became easier to control it. And the more I was able to control it, the stronger it became."

"Stronger is right." Vermundr chuckled. "During one of our practice exercises, we discovered Abraham can now even halt a vampire in mid-leap. I can attest to that, since I happen to be the vampire he usually tests on."

"In our time, I have heard of people who were able to move objects with only the power of thought," Carlisle mused, looking at Abraham with amazement. "But I never thought a human could manage to use it to stop an attacking vampire."

"We would appreciate it greatly if you didn't let anyone outside this room know about it," Vermundr stated, suddenly sounding serious and grave. "I'm sure you all know the danger he would be in if word of how strong Abraham already is reached the wrong ears. Besides, while we have no reason to question his strength, we have never attempted to test his endurance. For all we know, he might only be able to keep it up for a short time. I have noticed that Abraham appears to tire quickly after using his power against immortals." After everyone had given their promise to keep his power a secret, Alice asked Abraham another question.

"So, what happened after you found out what you could do?"

"I thought that was obvious," Abraham commented. "Vermundr and I began to travel together, forever searching for the Red Eye who killed Master Sandford and wiped out Vermundr's human village. However, along the way, we found ourselves driving out goblins from a small town that we came across, or dealing with a scitalis that was terrorizing a family that lived by the river, and so on and so forth. Before long, while we hadn't given up on our original intent on eventually finding the Red Eye we were pursuing, we started to redirect our attentions to helping people who were being tormented by other beasts and monsters. Because if we chose to ignore those who needed our help in our quest of avenging our loved ones, then what would be the point of our retribution? After all, we knew perfectly well how it felt to suffer personal loss due to an inhuman threat. If we didn't try and help keep others from experiencing that, what would that have made us?

"What's more, the shifting of our main priority also led to a shift in our views of one another. When we first started out, our working together was more or less nothing more than us pursuing the same goal. I will admit that we initially only worked together because of the convenience of it. But as time went on, the more we started to work to help others in need, we somehow found ourselves developing a mutual respect for one another. And from that respect, there eventually came the friendship and brotherhood we share now."

"Wait a moment," Bella spoke up, remembering something Abraham had said earlier. "You said that when you first met Vermundr, he had red eyes, right?"

"Yes, that is correct," Abraham confirmed. "Vermundr wasn't always a Gold Eye. When he and I met, he was indeed still a Red Eye. Although, he was a very merciful Red Eye.  He was quite selective with the people he fed on. Even when he was suffering from intense thirst, he never once lifted a finger to harm women or children, only going for adult men. And even then, he only chose men who fell under two classifications. For the most part, he only went for the men who had no one. The friendless ones with no family of their own. In other words, the men no one would ever miss. They were quite easy for him to pick out due to his ability to see the past. When they were in short supply, Vermundr would break into prison cells and select those who were already scheduled for the gallows. After we met…. Well, we both agreed that we couldn't change what Vermundr was. All we could do was to try and make the best of it." As Abraham spoke, he got up from his place on the sofa and crossed the room until he stood facing the crackling flames in the fireplace. After a brief pause of staring into the fire, he continued with his back facing everyone.

"That was until we first heard the rumors. Rumors of a strange, new vampire with golden eyes. A vampire who fed on the blood of animals and had never once tasted human blood. Judging from what Vermundr said he saw when he studied your past, we can only conclude that you were the vampire of which the rumors spoke, Carlisle. In any event, once we learned about you, Vermundr was intrigued. He had walked the earth for centuries, and watched as countless civilizations rose and fell. But in all that time, he had never even considered the possibility that there was another way to go. Once he heard about the attempts of the golden eyed vampire, he was stunned enough to try it himself. Vermundr has now lived as a Gold Eye for nearly seven years. And in all that time, he has never voiced a desire to go back to his old life."

"Of course not," Vermundr said. "Going back to being a Red Eye? How would I be able to do that after knowing you and Cassie? After all, at one point in time, the pair of you could have been included among my potential prey."

"In any event," Abraham announced. "I believe that brings us up to date. Now, I have to confess I am most interested in your story, as well. Vermundr told me upon your arrival that it was a very long story. Is that correct?"

"I suppose that's one way of putting it," Edward confirmed.

"Pardon me, everyone," Vermundr spoke up before anything else could be said. "I think it might be best to hold off any further conversation for a bit longer. I can hear Cassie and Felicity finishing up in the dining hall, which means they will be announcing dinner in a short time. I'm sure Cassie will also want to be present to hear their tale."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I end this chapter, I would like to let my readers know that I tried very hard to make Abraham's back story historically accurate. Originally, he was supposed to have been raised in a monastery under the care of monks, but then I remembered monasteries were all but extinct during this point in time because of the reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries. Thus, I had to completely rework Abraham's story. Unfortunately, I could not find anything that could really help me. I tried internet searches with various keywords, and I even tried looking through the library catalog, even going so far as asking one of the reference librarians. But no matter what method I tried, I could not find anything that could really give me an idea about the kind of life a young orphan boy would have in the late 17th century. The only really useful thing I could find was a page on apprenticeships, and I pretty much had to work with that.
> 
> Anyway, I sincerely hope you're enjoying this story so far. Please let me know how I'm doing and what you think of the new characters so far.


	6. The Dinner

Upon entering the dining hall, everyone was greeted by the rich aromas of freshly baked bread and hot stew. Cassie and Felicity placed the platters on a long mahogany table, where three young children were already seated. It was clear from the physical resemblance that these were Felicity's son and daughters. The second he stepped into the room, Vermundr went straight to Cassie's side, not quite moving at vampire speed, but certainly much faster than a human. Bending down slightly, he quickly whispered something into her ear, much too low for even the Cullens to overhear. Whatever it was Vermundr had told her, it made Cassie's brows furrow a bit in mild confusion, but she simply nodded.

"Welcome, everyone," Cassie greeted with a smile once Vermundr had stepped away. "Please have a seat. And I hope you are hungry for quarry stew, Mr. Black."

"Quarry stew," Jacob repeated the name as everyone selected one of the vacant chairs. "I've never heard of it."

"Oh, you probably wouldn't have," Abraham laughed as he sat down at the head of the table, with Vermundr taking up the spot to his right. "It was an original recipe Cassie concocted herself soon after she came to live here. So, what meats did you use this time, Cassie?"

"Partridge combined with the rabbits Vermundr brought home yesterday," Cassie replied, ladling the soup into separate bowls that she served to everyone, excluding those who survived on a blood diet. "It can also be made with venison, but to be perfectly honest, I prefer using rabbits, since doing so saves me from worrying about what to do with the excess meat. There's always too much meat in deer to put into quarry stew without a good portion left to spoil, particularly when you consider how I usually only have to prepare enough food for myself and Abraham."

By now, everyone who was eating had been served some of Cassie's quarry stew. Upon sampling the stew, Jacob found that it was an eclectic assortment of flavors that somehow successfully blended together to make a surprisingly hearty meal.

"So then," Abraham began, glancing over at the Cullens before starting on his stew, trying not to show that he noticed Felicity attempting to discreetly shift her chair a little further away from Alice's. "Why don't you tell us all about your story now?"

As the meal progressed, everyone listened with rapt attention as the Cullens relieved their entire history, starting with Carlisle's birth as a vampire, continuing to how he eventually formed his family. Everyone proved themselves to be a good audience, their expressions displaying sorrow at all the right moments. When Carlisle retold the details of Rosalie's conversion, a low growl of fury slipped from Vermundr's throat. However, no one actually interrupted the story until they had reached the part when the Cullen family had come to Washington in the 1930s and had their first encounter with the Quileutes. The second they mentioned about how the Quileutes could become wolves, Cassie suddenly gave a strangled gasp of horror, dropping her spoon with a clatter.

"Turn into wolves?" she stammered, eyes wide with sudden fear as she stared at Jacob. "You mean…?"

"Cassie," Vermundr soothed, suddenly standing behind her to place a comforting hand on her arm. "It is all right. There is no danger. As I just told you when we came in, Gash was a tree, Jacob here is a bush. Similar, but not the same."

"What do you mean, 'I'm a bush?'" Jacob inquired, looking from Vermundr and Cassie to Abraham. "And what's Gash?"

"Not what, Jacob, who," Abraham responded, sighing heavily. "As you've possibly concluded, we've had quite a few notable hardships and ventures of our own through the years. One of those times was about three years ago. We had a bad experience with a werewolf. Cassie's sister, Margret, did not survive the ordeal. Gash was the name we gave to the werewolf involved, because he had a single jagged scar that ran across his face. Ever since then, Cassie has had an understandable fear for anything that even resembles werewolves."

"So _that's_ why you asked Jacob to phase back into a human before we came here," Alice surmised, glancing over at Vermundr.

"Yes, it is," Vermundr confirmed. "Of course, Jacob's wolf form looks absolutely nothing like the werewolf, Gash. However, I did not think it was a wise idea for Cassie to see him as a wolf without any prior warning, just in case there was enough resemblance to cause her to panic."

"If it makes you feel better," Bella spoke in compassion towards Cassie. "We have since been told that Jacob is technically a shape shifter, and not an actual werewolf."

"Shape shifter," Cassie repeated hesitantly. "So… he _doesn't_ lose his mind when he changes?"

"No," Jacob said, shaking his head. "I may lose my temper at times, but for the most part, I'm in complete control as a wolf." Instantly, Cassie's tangible fear seemed to evaporate, and a calm smile appeared on her face.

"Okay," she replied, nodding. "So what happened after that?" With the momentary crisis averted, the Cullens' story continued on, spanning through how Alice and Jasper were welcomed into the family, then jumping ahead to them moving to Forks, meeting Bella two years later and everything that followed, finishing with their last hunting trip when the mysterious fog appeared. Once the story had come to an end, Abraham gave a quick chuckle.

"And here I thought Vermundr and I had seen everything," he mused. "A vampire-human half breed. Taking this into account, I have to wonder what else we simply have taken for granted."

"Oh," Vermundr spoke up, glancing over at Renesmee. "Speaking of the _dýrr barn_ , I think she's had enough for the day." Sure enough, Renesmee was slouching in her seat, having fallen asleep during the story.

"We normally would have had her in bed by now," Bella announced, getting to her feet to scoop her daughter up.

"By all means," Cassie announced, also stepping away from the table. "Please come with me. I can escort you to the spare bedroom. It's about time we got some use out of it again."

"Thank you," Bella agreed, smiling with gratitude. With that, Bella followed Cassie as she led the way out of the dining hall. The pair walked in complete silence in order to keep from waking Renesmee until they entered the spare bedroom. Taking a moment to look around, Bella's first thought was that the room was very organized; not a single object was out of place. At the same time, it was also nondescript. In her experience, most bedrooms seemed to reflect the style and personality of their owners. This room, however, was completely vacant of anything that suggested someone had ever slept there.

"I hope this will do," Cassie said in a low whisper, pulling down the soft looking comforter on the nearby bed to allow Bella to set Renesmee down. "While we do come in here to clean every now and then, no one has really used this room in a while. It was originally meant to be Margret's room, you see."

"Oh, Cassie," Bella gasped. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like you had to…"

"None of that, Bella," Cassie insisted, dismissing her concern with a wave of her hand. "Like I said, this room has been lying empty for quite a while now. It's not as if Margret has any use for the room anymore."

"Still," Bella persisted. "I am sorry, especially for your sister."

"I thank you for that," Cassie answered, her smile reflecting her appreciation.

Bella and Cassie continued to put Renesmee to bed in silence and quietly left the room afterwards, but upon leaving the door open a crack, Bella could no longer hold back a new question that she had wanted to ask for a while.

"Cassie?" she asked. "I don't mean to be rude, but there's something I don't understand."

"And what is that?"

"Well, Abraham and Vermundr told us how they met and became friends, so I understand why they're here. But…where do _you_ come in?" The instant Bella had asked this, Cassie gave a sudden laugh.

"Did you know that you're probably the first person to ask me that question?" Cassie asked. "Heaven knows how many times Abraham has been asked that, considering that he's a man who hunts monsters and yet lives under the same roof as a vampire. And yet, no one has ever asked me, either because they simply conclude I'm being paid enough money to stay here as a willing sacrifice to Vermundr one day, or they believe that foolish rumor that vampires can actually hypnotize people to do their bidding."

"So, what's the _real_ reason?" Bella urged.

"The truth is," Cassie explained. "I can relate to Vermundr in one very important way. We both have pasts we're not proud of. Once, long ago, I earned a living as a lady of the evening." Pausing, Cassie took a second to take note of Bella's expression of shock.

" _You_?" Bella cried. "Cassie, why would you…?"

"Possibly for the same reason why you used to work at that shop your old school friend's family owned," Cassie responded. "We all must do what we can to survive, after all. And to be honest, at first, it seemed like a step up from where I started out. I do not know what became of my mother, but my father was a cruel man. I still carry some of the marks he gave me on my back. To get away from him, I was willing to do anything. Even run away and enter into a life that held the promise of easy money each night. But the more I sank into that life, the more I found myself entertaining men who were just like my father. That was how Abraham found me, living on the streets of Bristol. He came to my aid in the middle of a dispute with a particularly violent client and offered me a safe haven here in his home. As you've already heard, I was quite leery of Vermundr for a while after learning that he lived here as well. But from the moment I first came through the front door, they have shown me nothing but kindness, and a fierce willingness to keep me safe from everyone who recognized me from my previous life. In time, I grew to trust them completely.

"When I was a little girl, on the many times I tried in vain to hide from my father's wrath, I had often wished that I had been given a brother who would protect me, keep me safe, and always be there for me when I needed him. But now, I have _two_ brothers, and no one could ever have a finer pair of brothers than them. And that is why I still remain here. If it wasn't for them, I would have died long ago, in either body or spirit. It was Abraham and Vermundr who reached out and took my hand, and helped me learn to stand on my feet again. They gave me the second chance I had desperately wanted but could never seem to achieve on my own. And for that, I will forever be grateful to the both of them." Even after Cassie finished her story, it was a few seconds before Bella could find her voice again.

"Cassie, I can't believe…everything you had to go through. I'm really, really sorry."

"No, Bella," Cassie stated, shaking her head with a laugh. "Do not feel sorry for me. In a way, I'm actually _glad_ for all of that. If my life had been whole and complete, with a good and loving father, I might never have met Abraham and Vermundr. If I had the choice, I'd go through all of that again. With friends like those two, it was more than worth it." Cassie continued to smile warmly, the sincerity of her words etched on her face. Anyone who looked at her expression would have been left with no doubt of how much she loved and cared for Abraham and Vermundr. For that reason, a part of Bella wasn't too surprised by the next words out of Cassie's mouth.

"Bella, just so you know, no matter what Baba Yaga says when you go see her tomorrow, I'm rather glad you and your family were brought here by that fog. It might not be my place to say this, since he tries so hard to hide it, but I've always had the feeling Vermundr has a harder time living here with Abraham and myself than he lets on."

"Yes," Bella agreed. "I can imagine that it _is_ much harder if you know what human blood tastes like."

"Oh, no. I'm not talking about _that_ part," Cassie explained. "Although, I suppose that is quite true as well. No, I was really talking about how he's never been able to truly fit in around here. I'm quite sure that you all noticed how Felicity acted throughout dinner, constantly looking at each one of you as if you'd lunge at her or the children any second. It's the same with everyone in town, even though Vermundr has proven time and time again that he wouldn't harm any of them. While they will interact with Vermundr on occasion, there's always a strong feeling of tension in their voices when they do. I've often gotten the impression that, apart from Abraham and myself, Vermundr doesn't have anyone to really talk to. And yet, neither of us, not even Abraham who probably knows Vermundr better than anyone else in the world, can completely relate to him, since we're both mortal humans, and Vermundr, well… isn't. I'm glad that, for possibly the first time since he was bitten all those centuries ago, he's able to form friendships with others of his own kind. It's probably quite refreshing for him, since you know far better than either of us what it's like to be a vampire, particularly a Gold Eye."

"Well then, we're happy to oblige," Bella said. With another kind smile, Cassie casually reached out and gave Bella's hand a friendly squeeze. Before anything else could be said, Cassie turned and glanced down the hall. Following Cassie's eyes, Bella saw that Edward was standing at the top of the stairs, seemingly waiting for them.

"I know it might seem like I'm just being, to use Alice's wording, overprotective and irrational," he announced. "But, for some reason, I'm still not quite over the last few dark months. And… having both you and Nessie out of my sight in an unfamiliar time and place..." Edward's explanation was cut short when Bella moved to his side at vampire speed, placing a single finger over his lips.

"It's okay, Edward," she assured. "If you had been the one who brought Nessie to bed while I was left waiting in the dining hall, I'd have felt the same way." Silently, Edward gently repositioned Bella's hand to his cheek, slightly leaning into her touch.

"Well then," Cassie spoke gently, clearly not wishing to intrude on the intimate moment. "I hope the two of you will excuse me. I'm sure Felicity will be wondering where I am, since she will probably want my help in cleaning up after dinner." Without another word, Cassie headed down the stairs as discreetly as possible, leaving Edward and Bella alone.

"Is something wrong, love?" Edward asked tenderly, noticing the sudden shift in Bella's expression.

"No, nothing really," Bella replied truthfully. "I was... just remembering some of the things Cassie was telling me."

"Mmmm," Edward hummed, placing a soft kiss to her forehead. "And I suppose you're not going to fill me in, are you?" Before replying, Bella pulled back slightly, so she could take in his entire face as she gave her answer.

"Sorry, Edward," she replied. "But I have a feeling that the things Cassie said to me were spoken in complete confidence."

"Somehow, I rather thought that's what you'd say," Edward admitted before leaning back in for another kiss.


	7. Baba Yaga

It was still a few hours before dawn when Jacob was woken up by an icy cold hand shaking his shoulder. With a sleepy mumble, Jacob opened his eyes a crack, stretching out his entire body in the process. After dinner last night, Cassie had brought up a slight problem with the rooming situations. It had turned out that when Abraham and Vermundr had first built the estate, they had not seen the necessity of adding any guest rooms into their plans. As a result, the upstairs rooms had originally consisted of Abraham's room, a storage chamber for all the artifacts Abraham and Vermundr had collected during their numerous monster hunting escapades, and finally a third room for Vermundr, which had been specifically reinforced to house a forge, giving the vampire the opportunity to take up a hobby of working with metal during the nights while Abraham slept. When Cassie had moved in, Vermundr's forge had been relocated to the shed out back to make room for her. The storage chamber had also been later re-purposed as a spare bedroom for the late Margret, which was now being occupied by Renesmee. As a result, even though Felicity had lacked the tolerance to stay in a house occupied by vampires for the night and insisted on her and the children staying at the inn in the nearby town, there was still some concern about where to place Jacob. However, Jacob had been quick to wave off the concern, announcing that he was perfectly fine with camping out on the floor of the withdrawing chamber, explaining that even if they had an extra bed for him, he would be simply too big for it. Unfortunately, he was now paying the price for his decision as his back was stiff and sore from sleeping on the hardwood floor all night.

"Mmmm, whuh?" Jacob mumbled when the cold hand shook his arm again. Even though the room was still pitch black, he could still make out the pale forms of Edward and Bella standing there.

"Jake, it's us," Bella whispered. "We wanted to tell you we're heading out now."

"Heading out?" Jacob asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"To Baba Yaga's," Edward clarified. "Abraham and Vermundr said we should head out now if we want to get there and back in the same day."

"Okay, I'm getting up," Jacob announced reluctantly.

"Oh, no, Jacob," Bella said, shaking her head. "It might be better if you stay here. Abraham thinks Baba Yaga will be more agreeable to help if only a few of us go to see her."

"And you decided _I_ should stay behind without asking me if I was okay with it?" Jacob snapped, clearly taking offence.

"Yes, because Edward and I couldn't bring ourselves to wake Nessie up!" Bella snapped in return. "Even though Alice volunteered to stay behind with her, we've all agreed Nessie would feel better if you stayed behind, too."

"Oh," Jacob's annoyance instantly died away upon realizing that Renesmee was also staying behind. "Well, okay then. Good luck."

"Thanks," Bella replied with a quick nod. "We should be back before nightfall." As Jacob fell back asleep, Edward and Bella left the room and made their way outside where they found Carlisle and Abraham standing by the wagon, securing a large bag with undetermined items beneath the driver's seat.

"What's in the bag?" Edward asked as he and Bella joined them.

"Payment," Abraham replied. "Even if Baba Yaga will be willing to help send you back to your time, she won't lift a finger to do so unless she gets something in return. So, we have to placate her with a large amount of dried herbs, feathers, animal bones, snake skins, and a few vials of vampire venom, courtesy of Vermundr."

"Why does she want vampire venom?" Carlisle's eyes widened in surprise.

"Baba Yaga insists our venom has the same amount of mystical properties as powdered unicorn horn," Vermundr explained as he stepped into view, coming around the corner of the estate accompanied by a strong-looking black horse. "What else can we do but take her word for it?"

"I take it that this horse also came from Baba Yaga?" Carlisle surmised, taking note of the fact that the black horse seemed completely at ease with a group of vampires around.

"No, but you are not far off," Vermundr replied, gently patting the horse's haunch. "Little Renesmee is not the only half breed on the estate. Nightmare was the offspring of a stallion and a púca."

"What's a púca?" Bella asked.

"One of the fairy folk," Abraham explained as Vermundr harnessed Nightmare to the wagon. "Púcas can make themselves look like any animal you can name, more commonly rabbits, goats, dogs and horses. Nightmare, as you can clearly see, favors the appearance of a black mare."

"How'd you manage to get a púca on your side?"

"That's a long story," Abraham answered. "It involves a troop of leshies and a particularly nasty dullahan. That was way back when Vermundr and I were still at that stage between tolerance and friendship."

"Come now, Abraham." Vermundr laughed. "You're making it sound like this was still early on in our ventures. The dullahan was only a year and a half before the chimera, remember?"

"Ah, yes. The chimera," Abraham agreed, nodding in remembrance. "The battle that changed everything."

Before anyone could say anything more, the door to the estate opened, with Cassie and Alice stepping out.

"Oh, I was _hoping_ you hadn't left yet," Cassie announced with a smile, hurrying over with a woven basket covered by a white cloth. "I didn't much care for the thought of you leaving to see Baba Yaga without bringing food with you, Abraham. After all, you will be gone for most of the day."

"Thank you, Cassie," Abraham accepted the basket of food gratefully. "How Vermundr and I managed to get by before you came along, I will never know."

"Sorry again that you couldn't come too," Bella apologized, giving Alice a quick hug.

"Bella, I _volunteered_ to stay behind," Alice reminded. "What if Baba Yaga won't help us, and we have to remain stuck in this time for a while? Cassie and I were going to head into town and look into purchasing period clothing for the rest of us, just in case. I seriously doubt _Jacob_ will be much help to Cassie in selecting anything for us to wear while we remain in this century. Besides, I've already promised Cassie I'd help her with some of her chores around the estate."

"Don't go overboard, Alice," Edward requested. "We're hoping we _won't_ be here for much longer."

"Of course not," Alice promised a bit too quickly. However, her large grin quickly shifted to a frustrated grimace. "Good luck with Baba Yaga. You're not going to have much trouble in getting there, but since everything vanishes abruptly after a point, I can't tell you how your actual visit will go. I suppose I can't see witches, either."

After further goodbyes, Edward, Bella, Carlisle, Abraham and Vermundr all got into the wagon, with Vermundr taking a place in the driver's seat. With one last wave to Cassie and Alice, they were off.

"I don't suppose either of you are going to elaborate on any of those escapades of yours?" Edward asked Abraham and Vermundr once the estate had disappeared from view, looking for a topic to help pass the time during the journey. "After all, you tend to keep your references to them vague."

"Apologies, Edward," Vermundr said, turning his head to flash him a quick smile. "But seeing as it would take nearly seven years to completely fill you in…."

"Well, we _could_ tell them the full story about how we first met Baga Yaga," Abraham suggested. "After all, they should know about that one before they see her. It might give them an idea of who we're dealing with."

"You may be right there," Vermundr agreed before beginning his explanation. "We told you last night about how Abraham and I accidently caused a centicore stampede that resulted in Baba Yaga's garden being trampled. However, we left out the bit when she retaliated by putting a hex on us both."

"What sort of hex?" Bella asked.

"A very interesting one," Abraham chuckled. "It actually subjected Vermundr and myself to a complete body swap. My consciousness became trapped in Vermundr's body and vice versa. It was a week before we finally got Baba Yaga to change us back, but that week was possibly one of the most interesting ones we'd ever experienced. F.or one thing, it enabled Vermundr to remember what it's like to be human."

"I could do without relieving yourself," Vermundr inputted. "But the sleeping part was quite enjoyable."

"As for me," Abraham continued. "I gained a pretty good idea about what your kind goes through every single day. Including that…" Abraham trailed off, simply gesturing to his throat."

"But if you experienced the burn," Edward spoke up. "Wouldn't you have been unable to resist?"

"Yes, we wondered that ourselves," Vermundr acknowledged. "Considering it was Abraham's consciousness in my body at the time, he logically wouldn't have been able to keep himself from draining his real body dry, especially since he had no experience with the smell of blood beforehand. Baba Yaga called it the paradox clause, stating that Abraham was literally unable to do anything that could cause harm to his true body. That's something many people don't seem to realize about magic. There's always a catch, or fine print, if you will. And that is why it's very dangerous to use magic if you're not completely sure of what you're doing. There may very well be a consequence you weren't prepared for, and once it's triggered, there's no going back." Out of the corner of their eyes, the Cullens all noticed Abraham fidgeting slightly at Vermundr's words, but his expression gave nothing away.

"So, what other ventures would you like to hear about?" Abraham asked, clearly making an effort to change the subject as casually as possible. "How about when we were up against that manticore? Where was that again, Vermundr? Tripoli?"

"No, it was Singapore," Vermundr corrected. "Tripoli is where you fell ill with yellow fever and was bedridden for a few days, moaning and wailing." After a pause, Vermundr turned his head to give Abraham a smug grin. "I was starting to think you were bitten by one of my lot." With that, Abraham and Vermundr both broke out laughing before continuing on with their stories.

* * *

The midday sun found Abraham and Vermundr leading Edward, Bella and Carlisle wading up a knee-deep river. They had left the wagon behind a few miles downriver, allowing Nightmare to roam free for the time being, after Abraham had explained that Baba Yaga could become quite hostile if anyone left behind a traceable scent that would lead unwanted visitors to her home. As such, the five friends had to keep from setting foot on dry land, using the water to cover up their individual scents. After they had been traveling for a good five miles, Vermundr paused in the middle of the river.

"There we are," he declared, gesturing to a large white willow growing along the bank. The branches formed a thick curtain circumfusing the entire tree, with half of the circle cutting into the water as well. "That's where Baba Yaga lives."

"Isn't that a bit conspicuous?" Carlisle asked. "You made it sound like Baba Yaga doesn't want people to find her, but she lives in a willow tree, where no other trees are nearby?"

"That would be a problem if it wasn't for the protective spell that's been placed around the tree," Abraham pointed out. "For one thing, you cannot see the tree unless you're immortal. And if you have a conscious intention to attack Baba Yaga, the protective spell will incinerate you before you can even reach the willow branches."

"Needless to say," Vermundr declared. "I suggest no one lets their guard down until we're well on our way back to the estate." In response to that statement, Edward instinctively reached out to take Bella's hand, meeting Carlisle's wary look.

In silence, the five friends took the final few steps up to the willow tree, with Vermundr pushing aside the curtain of branches to allow everyone to step through and get their first glimpses of Baba Yaga's dwelling. Unidentifiable symbols had been painted over nearly every inch of the knotted trunk, and a combination of crystal pendants and potent herbs hung from every bough. Instantly, Carlisle, Edward and Bella found it hard to move. It was as if the air had suddenly grown extremely heavy as an unfamiliar smell overwhelmed their heightened senses.

"Yes, I know," Vermundr announced sympathetically, reaching out to place a steadying hand on Carlisle's back, seemingly noticing their reactions. "That's the dried bloodroot. Baba Yaga burns it like incense, and the fumes tend to have an adverse effect on our kind. In high enough doses, it can even temporally paralyze us. I'm sorry for not warning you about that earlier."

At that moment, a jet of fire shot up from the ground, just inches from the small group.

"Get off of my property!" a harsh voice boomed as a hidden door was revealed in the base of the trunk and a haggard-faced old woman emerged, brandishing a crooked staff. "You are not welcome!"

"Hello, Baba Yaga," Abraham greeted, adopting a pleasant tone. "Fine morning, isn't it?"

"YOU!" Baba Yaga fixed Abraham with a hardened glare. "Did I not tell you that you and your pet vampire are not to set foot on my land again? And yet, you not only disregard my demand, you bring _three more_ with you!"

"We haven't forgotten," Abraham insisted, still maintaining his calm persona. "But we are in need of a witch, and since you are the most powerful witch we know..."

"Stow the flattery up until you come across those who ask for it, you foolish hunter," Baba Yaga snapped, jabbing her staff into Abraham's face in a threatening manner. "Ye both already know I've had my fill of the pair of you. Or did you somehow forget what happened the _last time_ you came knocking at my door?"

"We have… not forgotten that," Baba Yaga," Abraham consented, slightly deflating while sharing a meaningful, almost guilty, glance with Vermundr. "But this time, magic was already involved. This time, we're going to leave it up to you. And it wouldn't be for nothing. We've even brought you payment."

"Well, isn't that generous of ye," Baba Yaga spat, ignoring the large bag Edward had deposited at her feet.

"Please, Baba Yaga," Carlisle spoke up, taking a cautious step forward. "We truly could use your help." In the blink of an eye, Baba Yaga was up in Carlisle's face, the murderous look on her face intensifying.

"And who gave you permission to speak to me, you _walking corpse_?" she shrieked. Paying no heed to Carlise's visible surprise at the gypsy witch's harsh words, or how Edward and Bella had both tensed up, fully prepared to defend their adoptive father, Baba Yaga started to study him with a critical eye. "There's a certain air about you. You are not from these parts, are you? Explain, Abraham. Now."

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Abraham complied. "This is Carlisle, Edward and Bella. They, along with their friends, Alice and Jacob, and Edward and Bella's daughter, Renesmee, were brought here accidentally from another era, over 300 years in the future. We have reason to believe that they somehow stumbled across the effects of another spell that brought them back to this time. We came here to ask for your help to send them back to their own time where the rest of their family is waiting; Emmett and Rosalie, and Alice and Carlisle's mates, Jasper and Esme, and..."

"Esme," Baba Yaga interrupted, repeating the name. "Essssmmmmeee." After a brief pause, Baba Yaga roughly tapped her staff against the ground. "I well like that name. I help them."

"Just like that?" Vermundr spoke in disbelief.

"Expected me to _refuse_ to help, were you?" Baba Yaga snapped, rounding on him. "Or rather, _hoping_ I would? Perhaps you didn't learn your lesson from the last time, and was itching to make off with another spell to play around with?"

"You stole one of her spells?" Bella asked in curiosity.

"HA!" Baba Yaga cried. "Ye didn't tell them about what you did, did you? Maybe you need some incentive to do so?" Without any more warning, Baba Yaga pointed her staff at Vermundr. An almost blinding flash of light erupted from the head of the staff, and a sharp looking dagger materialized in mid-flight before it embedded itself in Vermundr's right hand, much to the intense surprise of Carlisle, Edward and Bella.

"Was that really necessary?" Abraham demanded as Vermundr yanked the blade out of his hand, wincing as he did so.

"Do not _ever_ question me, Abraham," Baba Yaga demanded, turning and walking back to her tree. "Now you wait here, and I'll see what I can do for you."

Once Baba Yaga had disappeared back inside her tree, the questions began.

"Vermundr, how was that _possible_?" Carlisle exclaimed. "That dagger just went right through your hand!"

"That would be… because it's _not_ my hand," Vermundr admitted reluctantly, flexing his fingers. "At least, not my original hand."

"Another one of your escapades?" Edward surmised.

"You could say that," Abraham shrugged with a sad frown. "Please forgive us for not filling you in about this earlier. It wasn't that we didn't trust you. But… it wasn't the smartest thing we've done. And seeing as how we're _still_ paying the consequences, we don't enjoy bringing it up unless we have to. But now, I suppose we have to tell you the whole story about the chimera we mentioned earlier today."


	8. The Life Contract

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to warn everyone know, this is a flashback heavy chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it.

"Vermundr and I had received word of a town located at the base of a mountain range," Abraham began. "There were stories that it was frequently attacked by a gigantic monster. Continuing our roles as monster hunters, we couldn't just ignore the plight of this village, so we headed over there to see what we could do. Only this time, Cassie went with us, mostly because while she was finally getting used to having Vermundr around, she was still uncomfortable with being left alone at the estate. Thankfully, once we arrived at the town, we managed to convince her to wait at the inn while Vermundr and I went up the mountain, looking for the chimera."

**Flashback**

Atop a mountain summit, Vermundr was crouched down, closely examining the rocky ground and the massive paw prints that had formed in the hardening mud. Upon hearing the sound of someone gasping and wheezing, he glanced over his shoulder to see Abraham standing a few feet away, bending over with his hands resting atop his knees as he gasped for breath.

"Are you going to make it, Abraham?" Vermundr asked, a slight teasing tone in his voice.

"You try climbing up this mountain as a human sometime," Abraham grumbled, giving the vampire a half-hearted glare as he continued to try and catch his breath. "Let's see how well you fare then." Once again, Abraham lowered his head, taking in large gulps of air, so he didn't notice Vermundr moving until he felt the icy cold hand being placed on the back of his neck, wiping away the sweat that had formed along his hairline. Instantly, a grateful smile formed on Abraham's face. "Thank you, Vermundr. I needed that."

"Just tell me when you're gotten your second wind," Vermundr replied.

"No need, I'm fine now. So, any sign of it?"

"Tracks indicate that it passed right through here," Vermundr announced, nodding back at the large imprints in the ground. "Quite recently, too, judging by the strength of the scent. We're probably very close. Best start arming yourself now."

"Yes," Abraham agreed, unstrapping the crossbow from his back and loading it with a lead-tipped bolt. "So, are you certain that a lead bolt will be enough?"

"It will have to do," Vermundr said. "A story I once heard from a troupe of gnomes a few decades back stated that a human like you once took one down with a lead spear. Of course, unlike that particular human, we don't have a flying horse on hand. That means we have to improvise and work with what we have. Namely myself and your crossbow. Which means I must ask you, can you make your shot count and hit it in the exact spot we discussed?"

"The real question is, can you keep it distracted long enough for me to get that shot?"

"After all this time, you truly have to ask me that question?" Vermundr raised an eyebrow.

"Well, this is the first time we're facing a creature with more than one head. You'll have to keep all of them focused on you."

"Just watch me work, Abraham," Vermundr jabbed.

"There's a challenge I'm doomed to lose," Abraham joked in return.

* * *

It was only three minutes later that Abraham and Vermundr, concealing themselves by a ridge in the mountain, finally caught sight of the chimera, currently bent over a small mountain lake, lapping away at the cold water. The instant Abraham caught sight of the beast, he barely managed to hold back the alarmed noise that formed in his throat. The chimera stood at ten feet at the shoulder with two heads diverging from one thick neck. The first was one of a fierce lion with a thick, heavy mane and the other was a goat, sporting sharp-looking horns that extended back to the base of the neck. Instead of a tail, there was a gigantic snake with hard, calculating eyes that were seemingly scanning the area as a sentinel.

"So that's what's been attacking the town," Abraham whispered in shock. "No wonder everyone we tried talking to was too afraid to say much about it. It's like something out of a nightmare."

"It's not too late for you to back out," Vermundr offered. "I could bring you back to the inn; you could wait there with Cassie while I take care of the chimera alone. I'm sure she'll appreciate the company." After taking a steadying breath, Abraham turned to meet Vermundr's eyes. There was no trace of playful banter in his gaze and only genuine concern, indicating that Vermundr was serious in his offer and would think no less of Abraham if he agreed to it.

"I appreciate the thought, but I decline," Abraham insisted. "We're in this together, remember? I've been telling you that ever since Master Sandford's death."

"Yes, you have," Vermundr acknowledged. "That doesn't mean I haven't given up trying to make you see sense."

"Vermundr." Abraham gave a soft laugh, making sure to keep his voice down to keep the chimera from noticing their presence. "I'm a human who goes about chasing down monsters, with a _vampire_ for a traveling companion. What makes you think I'm even capable of seeing sense anymore?"

"Fair point," Vermundr allowed.

As Abraham turned to glance back at the chimera, he felt the sudden breeze wash over his back and knew that Vermundr was already off to do his part. It was a good minute before he caught sight of his friend again, poised in a hunting crouch atop a rocky outcrop, positioning himself above the snake tail. After a few tense seconds, Vermundr lunged, latching his teeth into the base of the snake's head. An outraged hiss erupted from the snake's mouth as it started to writhe around, trying to shake Vermundr off, even going so far as to slam him up against the rocky ground. Taking advantage of the fact that both the lion and goat heads were distracted by the attacking vampire, Abraham quickly scrambled down the ridge and took a place at the bank of the lake, aiming his crossbow at the chimera, waiting for the beast's neck to be fully exposed.

"Come on, Vermundr," Abraham whispered. "Just get it to move a bit more to the left." Still hanging on with his teeth, Vermundr finally managed to wrap his arms around the snake's neck, crushing the windpipe with just one effortless squeeze. As the snake tail fell limply to the ground, he leapt backward and landed neatly on the goat head, grasping at one of the horns to maintain his balance and to force the chimera to turn its head in such a way that Abraham would get a clear shot. Within seconds, the chimera's neck became perfectly positioned, and Abraham fired the crossbow, sending the lead bolt on a straight path to the shallow groove in the neck. However, at the last possible moment, the chimera moved, trying to jerk Vermundr off one last time. Because of that unexpected movement, the crossbow bolt completely missed its mark, piercing the right eye on the lion head instead. A roar of agonized pain split the air as the chimera bucked backward with such force that Vermundr lost his grip and flew backward into the mountain face, leaving a deep indentation in the rock. Lifting a massive paw, the chimera clawed at its injured eye, which was already starting to swell up.

Mentally berating himself for missing so badly, Abraham scrambled to load another lead bolt, but just as he lifted his weapon for another try, he realized with a jolt of fear that the chimera's remaining good eyes were all focused on him. Feeling the sweat start to form on his brow, Abraham took a few nervous steps backward, but it was already too late. With a terrible roar, the chimera lunged, jaws opened for the kill. Letting out a cry of terror, Abraham braced himself for the death he knew was coming. At the last possible second, something shoved him aside roughly and he hit the ground hard, scrapping his arm and the side of his face on the rocks. Gingerly touching the abrasions on his skin, Abraham looked back up at the chimera and immediately felt his jaw drop at the sight waiting for him. There, dangling down from the lion head's jaws, was Vermundr. Even from here, Abraham could clearly see that Vermundr's right hand was trapped in the chimera's mouth.

The chimera, growling menacingly, began to shake its head back and forth, whipping Vermundr around violently. After a few shakes, the distinctive sound of a stone being torn in two filled the air, and Vermundr dropped to the ground. Seconds later, his severed hand slipped out of the chimera's mouth, landing inches away from Vermundr's body. Gritting his teeth to try and ignore the pain shooting up his arm, Vermundr forced himself to his knees and began to reach out for his hand, planning to reattach it later on.

"Vermundr!" Abraham's alarmed and panicked cry drew Vermundr's attention away from his hand and he glanced over his shoulder. In doing so, he saw that the goat head was now looking directly at him, its mouth open. Without any visible warning, a jet of fire shot out of the goat's mouth. Even with his advanced speed, Vermundr was only just barely able to dodge out of the way in time. However, to avoid the chimera's fiery breath, he had to abandon his hand, leaving it behind to burn. The sight of his appendage consumed by the flames momentarily shocked Vermundr to the point when he was frozen in place, a perfect statue. The pause was not long at all, only lasting a second or two, but was enough to give the chimera the chance to bring its massive paw forward, swatting Vermundr right into the rocky outcrop that he had attacked the snake tail from. It was there that the chimera successfully boxed Vermundr in, cutting off any escape route by breathing fire on the two windswept trees that framed the outcrop.

Abraham had been unable to move an inch during this whole ordeal, sharing Vermundr's shock at how he had just lost his hand. Neither of them had realized that the chimera could breathe fire: the greatest known threat to vampires. For the first time since he had met Vermundr, Abraham was finding himself wondering if they had taken on a challenge they couldn't possibly win. It was only when he saw the chimera had successfully cornered Vermundr, placing his friend in a position where he was sure to die by the chimera's fire, that Abraham felt the feeling returning to his legs. Without realizing what he was doing, Abraham charged forward, running towards the chimera as quickly as he could.

"NO!" Abraham cried, holding one hand out as if he could somehow stop what was about to happen. As he continued to run, Abraham already knew that, even if there was something he could do, there was absolutely no chance he'd get there in time to save his friend. Despite this knowledge, Abraham could not stop himself from racing towards the chimera and vampire.

And that was when it happened. Before Abraham's eyes, one of the trees that were blocking Vermundr's escape route completely ripped out of the ground and crashed right into the chimera's face. The unexpected attack forced the chimera to stumble back with a roar of surprised pain. Before Abraham could recover from the surprise of seeing the tree being uprooted with no visible force acting upon it, Vermundr was at his side.

"When you're ready, Abraham," he advised. Giving his head a quick shake to snap out of it, Abraham took aim with his crossbow and fired. This time, the lead bolt flew true, embedding itself deep into the chimera's neck. The creature let out an earsplitting gurgling roar and staggered to the ground, thrashing around in its death throes before it finally stopped moving. The moment it was all over, Abraham's knees buckled and he dropped to his hands and knees, breathing heavily as the adrenaline wore off. In response, Vermundr crouched down at his side, ready to offer Abraham physical support should he pass out.

"How'd you do it?" Abraham asked once he trusted himself to speak again.

"Do what?"

"Uproot that tree like that? I mean, I know you said that some vampires have some abilities that go beyond the enhanced speed and strength, but… you told me what your extra ability was, and it didn't cover _that_."

"It doesn't," Vermundr confirmed.

"Then how did you…?"

"I didn't. It wasn't me."

"But… if you didn't pull up that tree, then how…?"

"I don't know."

Abraham was about to push the issue, but he held back when he saw the pained expression cross Vermundr's face. Following his gaze, Abraham's eyes fell upon the small pile of ash that stood nearby, the remains of Vermundr's hand.

* * *

"I wish you wouldn't try wasting her time like this," Vermundr spoke dejectedly. "You have to know she won't help."

"You don't know that," Cassie replied kindly, placing a comforting hand on Vermundr's shoulder. "Maybe she'll surprise you."

"You don't know Baba Yaga, Cassie," Vermundr said, shaking his head while giving her a small smile. "She doesn't do anyone favors, especially not for Abraham and me."

"Well, she _has_ to make an exception this time," Abraham announced. "You're not going to be forced to live out your days with only one hand, Vermundr. Especially since you would never have lost it to begin with if I hadn't missed that first shot."

Vermundr and Cassie were sitting on the ground outside Baba Yaga's tree while Abraham continued pacing, waiting for the gypsy witch to reemerge from the depths of her tree. Nearly a full hour had passed since they came here seeking Baba Yaga's help. It had been Abraham's idea to take the impromptu detour to see her during the return trip to the estate after the battle with the chimera. He was determined to try and convince Baba Yaga to find a spell that could restore Vermundr's hand. When she heard the reason for the visit, Baba Yaga had gone off on a long rant about how their own recklessness had brought about the loss, and that they deserved to live with the consequences of foolhardiness. However, when Cassie stepped in and offered to make a special trip to Baba Yaga's tree with a basket full of Cornish pasty, Baba Yaga had grumbled incoherently before instructing them all to wait outside.

After a further five minutes, the door at the base of the tree opened and Baba Yaga emerged.

"I still say ye do not deserve this, Abraham," she announced. "However, there is a spell that will do what you wish. It will effectively fuse the hand back to your pet vampire's body. Since you no doubt will never leave me in peace if I don't agree to cast the spell, I suppose I have no choice."

"Thank you, Baba Yaga," Abraham said gratefully. "We truly appreciate you doing this."

"Hush your mouth," Baba Yaga snapped. "Where's the vampire's hand? I want to get this over and done with."

"Err… we don't have it," Abraham admitted, his smile vanishing in an instant.

"His hand caught fire during the battle with the chimera," Cassie explained. "It was burned into ash."

"ASH?" Baba Yaga shrieked in outrage. "Ye did not mention _that_ to me. What do ye expect me to do with a pile of _ash_? I want the three of you off my property now!"

"But you said you'd fuse Vermundr's hand…" Abraham's argument was cut off by Baba Yaga's aggravated screech.

"That was before you mentioned that the hand was _gone_ , you fool! Magic has limits! It cannot restore what is lost. Can ye return a burnt tree to its living state? Can ye reconstruct a rock that has been crushed?"

"So, there's no hope?" Cassie whispered in shock, glancing sympathetically at Vermundr, who had been silently running his fingers over the stump where his hand once was during the whole exchange.

"No," Baba Yaga confirmed bluntly. "Now for the last time, get out of here. If you ever come around and waste my time like this again, I will make all three of ye rue the day you even heard my name."

As Baba Yaga turned on her heel and headed back into her tree, Abraham opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by Vermundr before he could say one word.

"It's fine, Abraham," the vampire insisted. "Considering it was only my hand that was lost, I was lucky. I do appreciate you trying, though. We should just go home."

Without another word, Vermundr got to his feet and left the willow tree, with Cassie hurrying after him. Abraham on the other hand remained where he was for a few moments. No one was around to witness the sorrow on his face disappear, being replaced by a hardened look of determination. Before he followed his friends, he carefully plucked a piece of dried bloodroot from one of the incense burners hanging from the willow braches, slipping it into his waistcoat pocket, making sure it was carefully wrapped up in a handkerchief to prevent Vermundr from picking up on the smell.

* * *

Because night was already falling when they left Baba Yaga's tree, Abraham, Cassie and Vermundr had to stop and rent a room at the inn in a nearby town. Knowing that the townspeople would not provide room and board for a vampire, Vermundr had opted to stay out of sight to make sure no one there knew that Abraham and Cassie had been traveling with him. Instead, Vermundr was spending the hours until dawn monitoring the surrounding area, making sure that nothing dangerous came too close to the human populous. He was well into his thirtieth lap around the town when he suddenly picked up on Abraham's scent, which was leading away from the town. Wondering what Abraham was thinking in wandering around in the middle of the night, Vermundr promptly began to follow the trail, finally catching up with the young man a few miles away.

"Abraham, what are you playing at?" Vermundr growled, moving at vampire speed to block his way. "You know it's dangerous to go off on your own after sundown. What if I hadn't come across your scent trail?"

"Sorry, Vermundr," Abraham replied, not sounding sorry at all. "There was something I had to do alone."

"Are you absolutely _insane_? Do you even remember what almost happened today? The chimera would have killed you if I hadn't pushed you out of the way in time. Don't think that I'm holding a grudge over it, because I think it was worth it, but I gave up a hand to save your life, human! You running off to Baba Yaga made me think you appreciated what I had to give up for you. And now you're heading off somewhere in the middle of the night by yourself?"

"Vermundr," Abraham said, sounding suddenly triumphant. "That's exactly why I'm doing this. Because I did appreciate what you gave up in order to help me. And this is me, returning that favor." With no further warning, Abraham pulled his hand out of his waistcoat pocket, pulling out a handful of the dried bloodroot he'd ground into a fine powder. Not giving Vermundr a chance to realize what he was doing, Abraham threw the power into Vermundr's face. The response was almost instantaneous. Vermundr bowed over, coughing loudly before his legs crumpled. In seconds, Vermundr was lying paralyzed on the ground. Only his eyes continued to move, focused on Abraham in confusion and accusation.

"I'm sorry, my friend," Abraham apologized, grasping Vermundr by the underarms to drag him along the ground. "But I meant what I just said. I'm doing this to return the favor."

* * *

Cassie was sound asleep when she felt something hard tapping her face. Moaning in irritation, Cassie tried to slap the offending object away, but when it persisted, she opened her eyes with a huff. In doing so, she found herself looking right into the eyes of an irate-looking Baba Yaga.

"Baba Yaga!" Cassie cried, sitting straight up in her bed, visibly stunned to see the gypsy witch. "What are you…?"

"Where. Are. They?" Baba Yaga snarled, her ancient eyes blazing with unbridled fury.

"I… I don't understand what you mean."

"Abraham and the vampire!" Baba Yaga cried, slamming her staff loudly against the floor.

"I... I don't know," Cassie stammered, looking over at the bed where Abraham had been sleeping, noticing that it was now empty.

"Why? What's wrong?" "An hour ago," Baba Yaga said. "I was away from my tree to gather up pollen from some Nottingham Catchfly that grows nearby. Imagine my surprise when I returned home to find my inner sanctuary had been pillaged."

"You were robbed?" Cassie gasped in surprise. "What was taken?"

"A page from my spell book," Baba Yaga declared. "And I think ye can figure out which spell it was."

"Me? Baba Yaga, what makes you think I would know?" "

Use the common sense you were born with, woman! Ye were just at my tree not that long ago, looking for the spell that could fuse the hand back to Vermundr's arm. And now a certain spell from my book was taken, right when Abraham and that vampire of his are unaccounted for. Are you figuring it out now?"

"Baba Yaga! You don't mean… Do you really think they would take that spell?"

"Who else would take that particular spell?" Baba Yaga exclaimed. "Those fools have no idea what they're doing!"

* * *

Elsewhere, Abraham was clutching the stolen page in his hand, double checking the large magic circle he'd drawn around Vermundr's paralyzed body, making sure it was exactly as it appeared in the drawing.

"Okay." Abraham breathed, trying to settle his nerves, gathering enough courage for what he was about to do. "It looks like that'll do it. Now… now comes the hard part."

Taking another deep breath, Abraham stepped into the circle to kneel by Vermundr's side. Once again, his mind was plagued with hesitation. This was going against everything Master Sandford had instilled in him growing up. It was one thing to go to Baba Yaga for help, since she was the one doing the magic, but for him to perform a spell himself? Master Sandford had often told him that using magic was the absolute worst thing he could do, even worse than killing someone in cold blood.

On the other hand, Master Sandford had told him that all vampires were practically demons. But Vermundr was his friend. Someone he trusted with his very life. Even if Master Sandford had been right about using magic, it had to be permissible in this situation. After all, he was only using magic this one time to help his friend; his friend who had just saved his life yesterday.

That thought completely made up Abraham's mind. Clearing his throat, Abraham began to recite the spell that had been written on the stolen page. His voice in doing so remained strong and sure, until he reached the part he had been dreading. Abraham's voice trailed off and faltered. Closing his eyes, Abraham silently sought the strength to continue, telling himself that it was too late to back out now. He was committed to seeing it through to the end. After all, his friend was worth it. Even with those thoughts echoing through his mind, Abraham's hand still shook as he grasped the small hatchet that had been strapped to his belt. Breathing heavily, Abraham positioned his right hand against the ground before lining the hatchet up against his wrist.

_Just do it_ , Abraham thought. _Don't think about it_. Once again, Abraham closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. Before he had a chance to change his mind, he lifted the hatchet and swung it back down, making sure to put enough strength into his swing to get the job done in one go.

* * *

Baba Yaga and Cassie were combing through the woods, searching for the missing pair, when they heard Abraham's bone-chilling scream of pain rent through the night air.

"Abraham!" Cassie screamed in terror. Without a thought, she turned and ran towards the scream as quickly as her feet could carry her. Baba Yaga followed close behind, but at a slower pace. While Cassie's face was filled with worry and fear, the gypsy witch wore an expression of firm disapproval. Even with Cassie running at full speed, it was still a good five minutes before the two woman reached the spot where Abraham's scream had originated. They immediately saw Abraham lying on the ground, unmoving.

"No, Abraham!" Cassie cried out, running to his side. Upon rolling the still man onto his back, Cassie instinctively shrank back, noticing his right hand was gone. Instead, a blood-soaked cloth was tied tightly around his wrist, forming an improvised bandage.

"That fool," Baba Yaga muttered, glaring down at the bloody stump. "This is _exactly_ what I feared."

"Get him out of here," a harsh voice ordered from nearby.

Jumping in surprise from the sudden demand, Cassie and Baba Yaga both looked up to see Vermundr crouching a few feet away, his back hunched over with his fingers buried deep into the ground.

"I said, get him out here, Cassie," Vermundr snapped, a visible shiver passing over his body. "Do it."

"Vermundr, what's…?" Cassie's question was cut off when Vermundr's head flew back and an inhuman roar burst from his throat.

"NOW!" Vermundr boomed, glaring at Cassie in intense rage, his wild unfocused eyes completely black with thirst.

As Cassie recoiled, both from the sight of Vermundr's eyes and the harshness in his voice, Vermundr turned his head and pressed it firmly against a nearby tree trunk, causing the wood to split against the strain. Forcing herself to work through her shock, Cassie began to try and drag Abraham away from the thirsty vampire. To her surprise, Baba Yaga stepped up to help her move Abraham. Together, the two women managed to get Abraham back to Baba Yaga's tree. It was only there that Baba Yaga begrudgingly used her staff to magically cauterize the wound.

**End Flashback**

"So now you know the whole story," Vermundr announced. "Abraham cut off his own hand and used Baba Yaga's spell to fuse it to my body." As Vermundr spoke, Carlisle, Edward and Bella all felt their gazes drop to Vermundr's hands. Now that they'd heard what had happened, they were able to notice that there was indeed a slight variation in skin tone between Vermundr's hands; the left one was a few shades paler than the right.

"How does that work?" Bella asked in wonderment. "I mean, it was a human hand, originally. So… wouldn't it be weaker than the rest of you?"

"Yes and no." Vermundr spoke casually. "It is certainly less durable, as you've just seen when Baba Yaga's dagger was able to pierce the skin. But apart from that, there is no noticeable difference. I've still retained the strength and speed that is typical of our kind in this hand."

"But what about _your_ hand, Abraham?" Carlisle inquired, noticing that Abraham appeared to still have both hands.

"Surprisingly, Baba Yaga showed us some pity one last time," Abraham explained, rolling up his sleeve and revealing what looked like a bronze arm cuff with an amethyst embedded into the center. With a wry smile, Abraham pressed a finger against the amethyst. Instantly, the skin covering his right hand seemed to shimmer and vanish. In its place was an iron prosthetic, held in place by leather straps.

"The second we returned to the estate after the whole ordeal," Abraham continued. "Vermundr locked himself away in his forge. It was nearly three whole days before he came out again, carrying this. He even made sure that the fingers could be manipulated, allowing me to hold things in this hand. In a way, I suppose that made us even. I gave Vermundr a replacement hand, and he gave me one in return."

"You mentioned that there were consequences," Edward reminded them. "Consequences that you're still paying for. Somehow, I don't think you living with a prosthetic hand was what you were referring to."

"Very astute, Edward," Abraham confirmed with a reluctant nod. "The fact is I used magic to attach a part of my body to Vermundr's. In doing so, I unknowingly forged the Life Contract; a rare but permanent side effect of some spells."

"What does it entail?"

"In the simplest terms, it means I am forever tied to Abraham," Vermundr stated. "I am sworn to serve his bloodline until I'm killed or the bloodline dies out. Whichever comes first."

"That makes it sound like… you're Abraham's slave," Bella pointed out. At these words, Abraham and Vermundr shared a long, pointed look.

"Well," Abraham finally spoke up. "I suppose that's…. one way of putting it. But we prefer not to think of it like that."

"Even if the Life Contract wasn't formed," Vermundr added. "I would still continue to stand at Abraham's side. After he willingly gave up his own hand just so I wouldn't have to live as an amputee vampire, how could I do anything less?"

Before anyone had a chance to completely process this information, the hidden door at the base of Baba Yaga's tree opened and the gypsy witch stepped out again. The instant she reappeared, a tense silence filled the air as Abraham and the four vampires waited to hear what she had decided.


	9. Rune

"I have found a spell," Baba Yaga announced. "It will return you to your era."

"So it will be as if we never left?" Bella asked hopefully.

"Don't be stupid. Of course it won't do that. Do ye have any intelligence at all?"

"Baba Yaga," Abraham spoke in a cautionary tone, glancing over at Edward whose nostrils were flaring upon hearing Bella insulted. "Considering that this is their first encounter with magic and spells, it might be reasonable to go easy on them."

"Did I not just tell you to never question me, Abraham?" Baba Yaga snapped. "As I was saying, magic must not contradict the flow of time. To do so would be to make time flow backward, and to force that occurrence would risk unraveling the very fabric of nature and reality itself. I am able to send you back, but at a point equal to the amount of time you spend here."

"So, we'll return home only a day after we disappeared from our time," Carlisle mused.

"Only a day?" Baba Yaga repeated. "You think I can just wave my hands and send you back, just like that? The potion required to send you back calls for ingredients that need preparation. The lacehopper wings alone need to be boiled for a day and a night before being allowed to completely dry out."

"How long is it going to take to make this potion?" Edward asked, seemingly anticipating an unfavorable answer. "If all goes well, it will take a week to get everything ready," Baba Yaga declared.

"A week!" five voices cried in unison.

"Ye can always take the slow path," Baba Yaga retorted. "I do not care either way." For a long moment, Carlisle, Edward and Bella exchanged glances. Finally, Carlisle took a deep breath.

"If… a week is the fastest amount of time we can return home, I suppose we'll have to take it."

"Very well." Baba Yaga nodded. "Then it is agreed. I will come fetch you when the potion is ready."

* * *

Everyone was absolutely silent as Nightmare pulled the wagon back in the direction of the estate. It was only when Epping Forest came into sight that Bella broke the silence.

"Everyone back home must be worried," she began. "Rose, Emmett, Jasper, Esme, Charlie..." Her words trailed off upon noticing the expression on Carlisle's face.

"Carlisle," Edward said, leaning forward to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I… I'm really sorry."

"We were only supposed to be gone for a few hours," Carlisle spoke sorrowfully. "Just long enough to find and ask Jacob a question, and then return home. I can't even imagine what Esme and everyone else are going to think when they come looking for us and find our scent trail ending abruptly, with absolutely no sign of us. Especially when we're still recovering from the recent confrontation with the Volturi. I wish there was a way to send word to them. Anything to let them know that we're unharmed."

"Why can't we?" Bella asked. "We could write a letter with instructions to not deliver it to our family until the day we disappeared."

"The mail system didn't work that way in this century, love," Edward answered. "There won't be places to hold a letter for that long for quite a while yet."

"Except you're not putting me into consideration, Edward," Vermundr spoke up. "Don't forget that I'm hopefully going to be around when this mail system of yours is put into effect. I would be more than willing to write this letter to your family when the time comes."

"Thank you, Vermundr," Edward said with a single nod.

"Think nothing of it. I know what family means, after all. It was a founding principle for my people, if you'd recall."

As Vermundr spoke, he removed the sword that he'd been carrying on his back and casually began to polish the blade.

"I've been wanting to ask about that sword," Carlisle stated. "It seems unusual for you to carry it around, especially since vampires usually have no need for conventional weapons."

"That is true," Vermundr responded. "But Abraham and I have a saying we live by. You might think of it as a family motto."

"Never play an ace when a two will do," Abraham proclaimed.

"But why a sword?" Bella questioned.

"Because it's my last remaining link to my people," Vermundr explained. "I distantly can recall my father saying that it was originally wielded by my grandfather's grandfather. Of course, the blade had to be replaced, seeing as it was broken on the night I was bitten. But the hilt is still the same. Just as well, I suppose. It's even stronger now. Even strong enough to be effective against that Red Eye, once we catch up to him again. I made sure of it."

"How can a sword blade harm a vampire?" Edward asked. Instead of replying, Vermundr carefully handed the sword over to Edward with a solemn expression.

"Take a good look at the blade," he requested. "Let me know if you can identify the source material I used." For a minute or two, Edward looked closely at the blade before gasping in shock.

"This… Vermundr, this is… made from vampire teeth! How did you forge a sword from vampire teeth?"

"It wasn't easy," Vermundr stated, shrugging.

"How… Vermundr, did you kill that many vampires?" Carlisle asked, staring at the blade in shocked horror.

"Rather squeamish, aren't you?" Vermundr commented with a dry smile. "I've seen your past, remember? How many of those Seattle newborns did you help bring down again?"

"If there had been another way, I would have chosen it," Carlisle insisted, regret and sorrow etched over every inch of his face. Once again, he glanced at Vermundr's sword, letting out a heavy sigh.

"If you are feeling _sorry_ for the vampires whose teeth ended up in my blade, then you best stop right now," Vermundr retorted, his face clouding over in barely suppressed fury. "From what I've seen of your past, you haven't had much opportunity to see the very worst of our kind. Take some of the Red Eyes Abraham and I faced over the years; just _knowing_ exactly how they went about in their feeding would scar you for eternity. And I've had the misfortune of seeing what happened to every single one of their victims, in minute detail."

"And what's this for?" Bella asked quickly, hoping to steer the subject away from such a violent topic. Looking over, everyone saw she was touching a small rectangular flat stone that had been secured to the sword hilt with a braided cord. On one side of the stone, there appeared to be an engraving of an arrow pointing upward.

"Another relic from my human life." Vermundr glanced down at the small stone, a faint haunted look in his eyes. "All the village warriors wore a rune of their own choosing as a talisman of protection. My sister, Bryn, and I both chose this as our rune when we joined the village warriors. It's the Tiwaz rune. It was the rune of bravery and steadfastness in the face of any adversity, and fighting for what is right."

"You've kept it all these years?"

"Just because I'm not a human any more, doesn't mean I should no longer keep my vow. And furthermore, I..."

Vermundr suddenly froze, sitting ramrod straight. Turning his head, he sniffed at the air and instantly grew even paler than normal.

"Hold, Nightmare," he instructed, jumping out of the wagon.

"Vermundr, what's wrong?" Abraham asked, instantly reaching for his crossbow.

"Shhh." Vermundr held up a hand for silence. "Everyone, stay here for a second." Without another word, Vermundr dashed off into the underbrush.

"What's going on?" Bella questioned, glancing over at Edward.

"I don't know," he admitted. "All I could tell was that he suddenly picked up on a scent he recognized. I couldn't get much about it from his mind, but something about the scent set him off."

"Well, let's not take any chances then," Abraham decided, holding his crossbow at the ready. "In the meantime, Carlisle, I got the impression from your expression and tone when talking about Vermundr's sword that you disproved of some of his methods. I just wanted you to know that you shouldn't judge him too harshly. Even as a human, he lived by the sword. And not even _I_ know the full extent of how many horrors he's witnessed throughout the centuries. But I imagine it would have been enough to even place a limit on _your_ limitless mercy."

Before Carlisle could respond, Vermundr reappeared, dropping down into the wagon from an overhead branch.

"Did you find anything?" Abraham asked immediately. "Edward said you smelled something."

"No." Vermundr shook his head. "It was nothing. There's no scent trail out there. Perhaps I just imagined it. All the same, we should head back to the estate as soon as possible." Abraham simply nodded in response and asked Nightmare to continue on.

"What did you think you smelled?" Bella wanted to know, turning to Vermundr whose eyes remained trained on the forest around them.

"Something that you do not ever want to encounter, Bella," Vermundr replied in a tone that strongly hinted that he was not about to say anything more on the subject.

* * *

"Mommy! Daddy!" The instant she'd seen Edward, Bella, Carlisle and Abraham step into the withdrawing room, Renesmee, now wearing a pretty cream-colored period dress, had abandoned the thick book she'd been engrossed in, a wide smile on her face as she ran into the open arms of her parents.

"She wasn't any trouble, was she?" Bella asked Cassie, who had been sitting nearby petting Grimalkin.

"Of course not," Cassie insisted with a laugh. "She's a wonderful child, and _very_ helpful." As if to prove Cassie's words, Renesmee promptly placed a hand over Bella's cheek, showing her how she and Jacob had found truffles in the nearby woods, and how Cassie had taught her and Alice how to make a dessert called Snow.

"Abraham, where's Vermundr?" Cassie inquired, noticing he was not present.

"He's out back in the stable with Nightmare. He said he wanted to make sure the horseshoes weren't coming loose."

"So, how'd it go?" Alice asked, appearing in the room with Jacob close behind. Like Renesmee, Alice was in a new period dress, but Jacob, due to his height, could only fit in a long jacket and trousers. His feet were left bare.

"Did Baba Yaga agree to help us get back home?"

As Cassie excused herself to start on the night's supper, which she'd been holding off on until Abraham had returned, Carlisle filled Alice, Jacob and Renesmee in on what had transpired that day, and how the spell that could send them back would not be ready before a week had passed.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Jacob exclaimed. "You mean we're stuck here for a week?"

"It's better than not having any chance of getting home soon," Bella pointed out.

"Yeah, I got that, Bells." Jacob groaned as he collapsed on the nearby loveseat. "I'm just not thrilled at spending so long in a time period I know almost nothing about. Besides, there are probably _millions_ of illnesses floating around that are nearly nonexistent in our time. Like, what if Nessie comes in contact with the Bubonic plague while we're stuck in this century? I mean, she _is_ part human. There's no telling if she'll be immune or not."

"Jacob, the Bubonic Plague was typically carried by the fleas on rats," Edward pointed out. "Since rats, like other animals, are repelled by vampires, it's very unlikely that one will get close enough to infect her."

"Are you saying _rats_ caused that awful plague in London?" Abraham asked with wide eyes. "Everyone was saying it was the miasma."

"It would undoubtedly amaze you how much the understanding of disease and medicine is misconstrued in your generation, Abraham," Carlisle explained kindly.

"Well, we do have time before dinner is on the table," Abraham stated, clearly enraptured. "There is so much that I want to learn about the world you and your family come from."

Deciding to leave Carlisle and Abraham to their devices, with Carlisle starting off on telling Abraham about the advances in transportation, the others quietly filed out of the room, navigating to the estate's library instead.

"So, you've had a busy day, have you?" Bella looked down at Renesmee, who had retrieved the book she'd been reading before their return.

"I did. Jacob and I even found a river nearby where we caught fish for Cassie. She was planning on cooking them tonight. And when we were in town looking for new clothes, the tailor looked like he was going to faint when we walked in."

"I can imagine." Edward grinned at the image of Renesmee's memory of the event. "Not only is Alice a vampire, but the average height of a full-grown human these days was around five feet and five inches. Someone taller than six feet was almost completely unheard of in the 1600s. So of course the sight of Jacob would cause additional alarm."

"Hey," Jacob said.

Thinking he was voicing an objection to the statement about his height, Edward started to inform the shape shifter that he'd merely stated a fact, but upon reading deeper into his mind, he realized that Jacob's attention was elsewhere.

"Where's he going?" Jacob asked, staring out the window. Joining him, Alice, Bella and Edward all saw Vermundr slinking back into Epping Forest alone.

"I thought so," Edward muttered, his expression giving away the fact that he was reading Vermundr's mind. "I had a feeling he wasn't being completely truthful earlier, after he caught that scent during the journey back from Baba Yaga's. He's going to try and make a more thorough search for the scent's origin."

"Maybe we should help," Bella suggested.

"That's not quite a good idea, love," Edward replied gently. "Vermundr's going alone because he doesn't want to draw too much attention to himself if there _is_ something out there."

"But what if he runs into something he can't handle?"

"I'm with Bella." Jacob agreed. "Even vampires can be outnumbered. The stories of my tribe prove that. I don't know about you guys, but I'm going with him."

"If you're going, then I'll have to go, too." Edward announced. "If you have to phase for any reason, Vermundr would need someone to translate for you."

"Since you two are going," Alice said. "I'm going to take Bella upstairs. I found quite a few nice dresses for her to wear in town, but I need to make some alterations on them."

"Alice," Bella moaned, grimacing at the thought.

"Besides," Alice continued. "Nessie hasn't seen you all day, Bella. You're not going to run off and leave her behind _again_ , are you?" Instead of replying, Bella fixed Alice with an exasperated glare. Leave it to Alice to use her love for her daughter to manipulate Bella into agreeing to stay behind and try on dresses.

"It's alright, Bella," Edward reassured, briefly kissing her forehead. "Jacob, Vermundr and I won't be too long. I'm sure of it."

"Just be careful," Bella instructed.

"I will be. I promise."

Once Edward and Jacob had slipped outside to go after Vermundr, Alice went to work in herding Bella to the upstairs guest room to try on her period dresses. As they made their way through the entryway, however, they passed by the wall-mounted plaque where Abraham and Vermundr had hung their weapons the night before.

"Alice?" Bella asked, stopping in her tracks as she remembered. "While we were gone today, did Cassie mention anyone with a name beginning in the letter 'H'?"

"No, she didn't," Alice replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because of the letters on the plaque," Bella explained, pointing at the engraving. "'A.V.H.' I've been wondering what it meant since I saw them last night. I thought it might be the first initial of three different people. 'A' for Abraham and 'V' for Vermundr, but so far, no one's mentioned anyone with a name beginning in 'H.'"

"That's because it's not three different people, Mommy," Renesmee stated. "They're Abraham's initials."

"How do you know?" Bella's eyebrows raised in surprise at Renesmee's matter-of-fact tone.

"Because he wrote them in this book, too." To prove her words, Renesmee showed Alice and Bella the inside cover of the book, where the letters 'A.V.H.' had been printed in a simple script.

"I asked Cassie about it when I found the book in the library. She said Abraham had gotten into the habit of only writing his initials instead of signing his full name, because he preferred keeping a low profile. Cassie said that he was getting very well known as a monster hunter a few years ago, and a lot of people started to hound him all the time for favors. So he started to only use his initials instead, because it made it easier for him to live here without people realizing who he really was."

"I guess that makes sense," Alice decided.

Bella, on the other hand, started feeling uneasy. She felt as if there was something obvious right in front of her, but she just wasn't seeing it. She continued to mull the information Renesmee had revealed to her in silence, which kept her silent as Alice went to work in making alterations to her new period dresses. It wasn't until Alice had finished up and packed away the sewing kit that Bella gasped, a sudden epiphany washing over her.

"Of course!" Bella cried, placing a hand over her mouth in stunned surprise. "It _was_ obvious! Why didn't I think of it before?"

"Think of what?" Alice asked, frowning in concern and confusion.

"'A.V.H.,' Alice. They're Abraham's initials. Initials he started using instead of writing out his full name because of how well known he was becoming as a monster hunter."

"Yeah, I understand that."

"Oh, Alice, don't you get it? A famous monster hunter with the initials 'A.V.H.!' Think about it! 'A.V.H.' Abraham _Van Helsing_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So be honest. Did anyone see that coming? Anyway, the plot really starts rolling from here on in. Hope you're still enjoying the story, and please don't forget to review.


	10. Carnival of Darkness

Out in Epping Forest, Edward navigated his way through the trees, followed closely by Jacob, who was already in his wolf form. It had been decided almost immediately after they'd left the estate that it would be better if Jacob phased right off the back, on account that he couldn't afford to lose what little period clothing he had. The pair had barely traveled a mile from the estate when Vermundr instantly appeared in their path, a look of incredulity on his face.

"What do you two think you're doing?" he exclaimed.

"We know that you lied earlier when you smelled something on the return trip from Baba Yaga's tree," Edward said. "Jacob and I both agreed it was a bad idea for you to come out here on your own." Jacob huffed through his nose, almost in agreement.

"Do not think I am ungrateful for your concern, but you need to turn around and get back to the estate," Vermundr ordered through clenched teeth. "While I have been able to see how you're both decent enough fighters in your own time, you're in a completely different century now. This world is a much more savage place than the one you've come from. These woods, and the surrounding areas, are filled with creatures neither of you have ever…"

Vermundr's warnings were cut off by an unearthly shriek. As one, Vermundr, Edward and Jacob's heads turned in the direction of the shriek, just in time to see the figure hurtling at them in an oppressive manner. Even before the trio dodged out of the way of the attacking creature, they managed to get the full effect of the distinct rank smell of rotting flesh emanating from the monster. The reason for that smell became evident when the creature doubled back to attempt a second attack. It looked as if the creature had been a human man once but half of its face was decomposing, with maggots heavily infesting his skin.

"Zombie," Vermundr whispered in shock.

No sooner had Vermundr identified the creature, it let out another shriek and launched itself at them once again. This time, the zombie somehow managed to latch itself onto Jacob's back and proceeded to relentlessly tear out large patches of his fur. Howls of pain slipped from Jacob's throat as he tried in vain to shake off the attack. Moving quickly, Edward leapt up onto Jacob's haunches, trapping the zombie into a headlock and peeling it away from his friend.

"Edward, move!" Upon hearing Vermundr's command, and seeing what he planned to do in his head, Edward jumped back from the zombie. Less than a second later, Vermundr launched his sword at the zombie as an improvised spear. As a result, the zombie became pinned to the trunk of a nearby tree. Even with Vermundr's sword protruding from its chest, the zombie continued to screech and writhe around in a blatant attempt to continue to attack Jacob, Edward and Vermundr.

"There really are zombies, then," Edward commented, carefully examining Jacob's back for any injuries that would be too serious to heal properly without outside assistance.

"They're not as common as you might think, but yes. They can exist," Vermundr confirmed, walking up to the pinned zombie. "Abraham and I faced a fair amount of them over the years."

With no hesitation, Vermundr grabbed the zombie's shoulders and roughly shoved it downward in such a way, the sword cleanly split the creature's upper body into two halves, instantly silencing the monster permanently. Stepping over the zombie's remains, Vermundr pulled his sword out of the tree trunk and secured it to his back. Only then did he turn his attention back to Edward and Jacob, just in time to see Jacob phasing back into his human form.

"You fairing alright there, Jacob?" Vermundr asked, noticing his wince as he bent his back to pull the trousers back on.

"This is nothing," Jacob insisted. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was gone by morning."

"Even so, I suggest you take it easy for the rest of the night," Vermundr instructed. "Zombies are notably relentless in their attacks. I will not be too surprised if your back is still tender after two days." Pausing momentarily, Vermundr crouched down and threw the zombie's remains over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"We're taking that thing with us?" Jacob exclaimed.

"Only because Abraham should see it. I want to know what he has to say about this," Vermundr explained. "However, I should thank the two of you before all else. While I still stand by what I said earlier about how neither of you have any true inkling about the dangers that exist in this century, even for people like us, I most likely wouldn't have been able to take care of the zombie without your help."

* * *

Back at the estate, Abraham, Carlisle, Bella, Renesmee, Alice and Cassie all listened in shock as Edward, Jacob and Vermundr related their story about the attacking zombie, which Vermundr had placed on display on the floor in the withdrawing chamber.

"A zombie." Abraham shook his head, looking over at the body. "That's just… impossible. How could a zombie be out wandering in Epping Forest?"

"Why do you make it sound so unusual?" Edward asked. "As a monster hunter, Abraham, you probably have faced zombies before. Vermundr even confirmed that this wasn't the first one you've encountered."

"Yes, but the conditions around here are completely wrong," Abraham explained. "A zombie can only be created in areas where there is rich soil. Around here, the soil is far too thin to successfully create a zombie."

"Maybe it was created in an area with rich soil and made its way here," Jacob suggested.

"Highly unlikely," Vermundr said. "Zombies cannot travel long distances on their own. They decay far too quickly to be able to do so. A zombie can only maintain itself for a maximum of five days before they completely disintegrate. The only possible way for this zombie to even be here is if someone brought it into this area and set it loose. The problem is, who would be so idiotic and foolish to attempt to do so?"

"Abraham? Vermundr?" Cassie interrupted suddenly, her voice shaking. Looking over, everyone saw that she was kneeling next to the zombie's remains, her eyes wide in shock. "I… I think you should see this."

After a pause, Abraham and Vermundr stepped over to Cassie's side in silence. Glancing up at their faces in a cautious manner, Cassie carefully opened the zombie's torn shirt, exposing the creature's chest. The responses were immediate. Abraham let out a strangled gasp and took a step backward, his face paling in seconds, while Vermundr's lips curled back, fully exposing his teeth as he released a wild roar of unbridled rage. In curiosity, the others all stepped forward to see what had inspired such an intense reaction from the pair. In doing so, they all saw a mark on the zombie's chest, positioned over where the heart would be. The mark, which looked to have been made by a hot branding iron, was four intersecting lines within a circle, with the lines forming the overlapping letters C and D in a dalek font.

"What is it?" Bella asked, looking from the symbol to Abraham and Vermundr's expressions.

"It's the mark of the Carnival of Darkness," Abraham whispered, his voice hoarse with audible horror.

"What's the Carnival of Darkness?" Renesmee inquired. Abraham didn't reply immediately and appeared to be recovering from his shock, but after half a minute, he took a breath and began explaining.

"The Carnival of Darkness is essentially a group of men who have managed to capture a great assortment of mystical beasts and monsters. Each one of the creatures they capture are given this brand mark with the use of an iron rod heated over hot coals coated in magically amplified powdered quartz. Once a creature is branded, they're invisibly tethered to their confinement, as long as the enchanted seal remains attached to the top of the cage."

"It's a traveling zoo," Jacob said in realization. "That doesn't sound so bad."

" _NOT BAD?_!" Vermundr boomed, fixing Jacob with a withering glare, his expression fully showing his true vampire nature. "Do you have _any_ idea what it is really like to be held prisoner by them? Those beasts and monsters are not simply exhibited, they are _exploited_! The creatures that are placed in the carnival were taken from their homes, robbed of their freedom, and forced into cages smaller than my forge out back. And that is _nothing_ compared to how the more feared inhabitants are treated. Oh, they do keep the well-loved creatures that humans would give anything they owned to have the chance to see just once, such as unicorns, faeries and mermaids. But they also keep the most despised monsters, allowing paying patrons to mock and jeer them without fear. Because when the monsters are successfully kept restrained, what's to stop the humans from relentlessly torturing those monsters? The human patrons _and_ the carnival workers are free to pelt the monsters with mud, rocks and whatever they can get their hands on. Or even purposely draw their own blood to torment a vampire who has been made to starve for two years, standing just out of reach of that thirsty vampire."

"Vermundr," Carlisle said, speaking slowly. "That's a very vivid description of what it's like in this carnival."

"It should be," Vermundr hissed, reaching up to unbutton his shirt, just enough for him to show everyone his upper chest. In doing so, he revealed the exact same brand mark that had been found on the zombie's chest, positioned in the very same location.

"Yes, that's right," Vermundr said, giving a dry laugh as he took in everyone's expression. "I was held prisoner by the Carnival of Darkness, myself. Years before I even met Abraham. And as I have just said, I was on display in the carnival for two years. With the brand mark in place, along with the dried bloodroot that was constantly kept in the incense burners secured to my cage, I was unable to get out of my cage, and therefore unable to obtain blood of any form. The humans who ran and visited the carnival all took great delight in seeing my torment and took every chance they could to increase it. There were many times I felt myself going mad as each day passed."

"But you clearly escaped," Alice pointed out.

"It was a chance in a million," Vermundr agreed, nodding in confirmation. "It was raining very heavily that night. We were all being transported to a new location when one of the wheels on my cage became wedged in a small depression in the path. As a result, my cage toppled over. When that happened, not only was the bloodroot incense burner extinguished, but the enchanted seal that was affixed to the cage was disrupted. Without those two restraints in place, I was free to escape." Pausing, a slow, sinister smile formed on Vermundr's face. "Although, I stuck around long enough to make sure those fools who kept me confined so long gained a new appreciation for that human saying, ' _you mess with the bull, you'll get the horns_.'

"Of course, I won't make any of you listen to any of the… minute details of that night," Vermundr added quickly, casting a particularly cautious glance at Renesmee. "Let's just say that, at the time, I was _sure_ I put a permanent end to the Carnival of Darkness upon escaping from my cage. Until tonight, when we were returning home from Baba Yaga's tree, and I caught that old smell on the breeze. It was the same smell that emanated from the coals they used when branding the captured beasts and monsters. And now, because of this branded zombie, we've got further proof that the Carnival of Darkness has come back. Not only are they back, but they're here in Epping Forest."

"That means they probably captured more creatures," Bella surmised.

"Most likely, yes," Abraham confirmed. "So it might not be a wise idea for any of you to… Vermundr! Stop!" Abraham's words were cut off when his vampire partner suddenly ran out of the room at vampire speed. Less than a second later, Edward was off after him, catching up to Vermundr in time to block his path before he could step foot outside.

"Edward, get out of my way!" Vermundr barked, rage filling his every syllable. "Please don't make me force my way past you!"

"Vermundr, I can see what you're planning to do," Edward replied, refusing to step aside. "I understand that you have a personal vendetta against the carnival, and I do not blame you for wanting to put an end to the whole thing once and for all. All the same, you shouldn't simply run off without a plan. Or rather, with a plan that _doesn't_ involve you charging into the forest and resorting to the methods you used last time. Besides, seeing as the carnival has returned, that didn't work as well as you thought."

"He has a point, Vermundr," Abraham said, stepping up to his friend's side. "Do not forget that the carnival successfully managed to capture you once. It would be wise to take the time to come up with a well thought-out plan. Otherwise, the carnival could manage to capture you again." A visible shiver washed over Vermundr's body as that thought sank in.

"Very well, Abraham," Vermundr complied after a lengthy pause. "I will wait. But please think up a plan quick. I'm only willing to wait until tomorrow morning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is when the plot picks up. I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but I would love your feedback. Please let me know what you think.


	11. The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

After the zombie's remains had been removed and deposited into a shallow grave out back, the planning commenced in the withdrawing chamber, with Abraham, Cassie and Jacob balancing their plates of the roasted carp that Cassie had prepared for the night's supper on their laps.

"I think the first step is to pinpoint the precise location of the carnival," Carlisle stated. "To do so, we'll need to search Epping Forest."

"If we do that, it will probably be more efficient if we break into teams," Abraham added in agreement. "That way, we could cover more ground in less time without having to compromise our individual safety by separating completely."

"And what do you suggest we do when we find them?" Vermundr asked.

"Well, we should try and free the creatures that were captured," Bella announced. "I don't think they deserve to be imprisoned like that just because of what they are."

"We will, Bella," Edward promised. "But before we can do anything, we'll need to see what we're up against. And before you say anything, Vermundr," Edward continued, turning to face the older vampire who looked like he was about to argue. "You said yourself that you were held by the Carnival of Darkness before you met Abraham. For all we know, the carnival might have changed during that span of time. The people who brought it back might be kinder than the ones who imprisoned you." Vermundr did not reply, but it was clear from his expression that he was extremely doubtful.

"How many teams will there be?" Cassie inquired, setting aside her plate. "I know I wouldn't be much help out there. After all, I'm just a mortal human, and I don't even have a special power like Abraham. I'll most likely just be slowing everyone down if I go. Considering how I imagine little Renesmee will also be exempt, that would mean there will be an uneven number no matter how many teams there are, unless someone else stays behind with us."

"I don't want to be left behind!" Renesmee exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Nessie," Edward replied gently. "It would be far better if you stayed here. Besides, we'll possibly be out all night, and you need your sleep."

"But I'm not tired," Renesmee argued. "And I want to help!"

"Actually, there's _another_ way you could help," Vermundr announced with a smile, placing a leather-bound book into her hands. "Over the years, Abraham and I have managed to put together this compilation of all the creatures we've faced in our roles as monster hunters. I believe it is safe to conclude that a good number of the creatures that were captured by the carnival are the ones that we wrote about in our personal almanac. You could really help your family out by staying here and looking it over while we're gone, so you can help them all know the best way to handle the beasts and monsters once they're freed."

"That would be _very_ helpful," Bella agreed in appreciation. "Could you do that for us, Nessie?"

"Okay," Renesmee relented.

"You'll be leaving straight away, won't you?" Cassie asked, turning to face Abraham.

"We'll be back before you know it, Cassie," Abraham promised, retrieving his crossbow. "Just don't try to wait up for us. You need your rest, too."

"So do you," Cassie spoke softly, escorting Renesmee out of the room, after the young girl had hugged Edward, Bella and Jacob in turn. However, if Abraham had heard Cassie's statement, he showed no sign of it and continued to examine his crossbow.

"Vermundr, I think I'll take the ash bolts tonight," he announced. "Just in case we run into trouble. Would you be so kind?"

"Of course," Vermundr answered, darting to fireplace and taking down a long, flat box. Inside, there were various crossbow bolts made of assorted types of wood, with some made out of stone and what looked like bone. As Vermundr carefully picked out the bolts that had been made from ash, Bella stepped over to his side.

"Vermundr, thank you for coming up with that job for Nessie," she said.

"No thanks necessary," Vermundr responded, giving a half shrug. "From what I've seen, a stubborn insistence to try and do more than you're physically capable of in order to help loved ones _might_ be in her blood. I'm sure you and Edward know what I mean all too well." Bella gave a slight huff upon hearing Edward's soft chuckle, as well as seeing Vermundr's sly grin, realizing what he was getting at. "Besides, Renesmee's still a child. With children, it's best to try and include them instead of excluding them. Otherwise, they might feel like you view them as a nuisance, and that they're not valued."

"You talk as if you know a _lot_ about children," Bella mused.

"I was a father, once," Vermundr stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Instantly, Bella's eyes widened, but before she could think of what else to say, Vermundr was across the room, handing Abraham his crossbow bolts.

"Here you go," Vermundr said, his face showing no indication that he'd revealed any personal information.

"Well, then," Abraham announced, securing the bolts to his belt. "Shall we go?"

A short time later, Abraham, Jacob and the five vampires had all split off into three different teams; Abraham with Carlisle and Edward, Alice accompanying Vermundr, and Bella teaming up with Jacob. After the three teams all promised to regroup at dawn at the spot where the zombie had attacked Edward, Jacob and Vermundr, they all went off into separate directions within Epping Forest to locate the Carnival of Darkness.

* * *

Vermundr was scrounging about on the ground, searching for any physical sign of the carnival's presence, as Alice watched him silently. Unbeknownst to Vermundr, Abraham had specifically asked Alice in secret to be the one to search with his vampire partner, hoping that her gift would warn her in advance if Vermundr allowed his personal vendetta against the carnival to cloud his judgment, and therefore be able to stop him before he did anything rash.

" _Still_ nothing," Vermundr grumbled, starting to appear quite vexed about the matter.

"That doesn't mean we're not going to find them," Alice pointed out. "And don't forget, the others are out looking, too. Even if we don't find anything, that doesn't mean the others wouldn't have."

"I realize that," Vermundr replied. "This is why I'm hoping that none of them let their guard down."

"Do you doubt my family's ability to handle themselves?" Alice questioned, frowning at him. Seconds later, a wry smile appeared on Vermundr's face.

"My apologies, Alice. I was not trying to sound like I thought you and the others weren't competent. That is not what I think at all. I suppose I'm too used to it being just Abraham and myself. Having someone else around who is able and willing to assist us is completely new to me."

"Vermundr, speaking of Abraham," Alice said, her thoughts returning to her conversation with Bella a few hours earlier. "While you were off with Edward and Jacob - when you found that zombie - Bella, Nessie and I found out that Abraham's initials were A.V.H. Were we right in guessing that he's Abraham Van Helsing?" The instant these words were out of Alice's mouth, Vermundr was right in front of her, covering her mouth with his hand, eyes wide with shock and, to Alice's confusion, a small touch of fear.

"Alice, please," Vermundr whispered urgently. "Promise me you won't go about mentioning Abraham's full name like that. I… I can't explain right now, but... For our safety, Alice. Just trust me, all right?" After a brief silence, Alice nodded in agreement. A wave of relief washed over Vermundr's face, but he didn't say another word and simply went back to searching.

"You know," Alice began, changing the subject. "I'm a bit surprised that you haven't asked me yet if I've been able to see the location of the carnival."

"Perhaps that's because I didn't think you'd be able to," Vermundr explained. "I believe we've established that your visions can only be used to see humans and vampires. It probably goes without saying that the carnival, wherever it is, is currently filled with creatures you've never even encountered before. Logically, I concluded that the reasons for your visions being blocked by shape shifters like Jacob, half breeds like Renesmee, and witches like Baba Yaga would also apply to those poor beasts held captive."

"Well, for someone who all but claimed straight out that you were not a thinker, you sure do a lot of it," Alice teased good-naturedly.

"I still hold to what I said," Vermundr declared. "Abraham has always been the brains in the partnership. I just pay attention. When you've been around as long as I have, Alice, you'll find that everything is important."

* * *

The rising sun was just starting to cast its illumination though Epping Forest, but this was barely noticed by the small group gathered at the designated meeting place. Abraham, Vermundr, Alice and Carlisle were all standing about silently as Edward relentlessly paced back and forth, paying no attention to Carlisle's attempts to mentally reassure him.

"They should have been back by now," he muttered to himself, his eyes quickly scanning the surrounding forest, hoping that he'd catch a glimpse of Jacob or Bella, or at least be able to hear Jacob's thoughts. "What if something went wrong?"

"Edward, there could be a number of reasons why they were delayed," Alice reminded him. "Besides, Jacob knows how to take care of himself, and from what Emmett's told me, Bella has become quite good at protecting herself."

"Alice's right," Abraham stated. "And furthermore, worrying and automatically thinking the worst has never done anyone any good."

"Five more minutes!" Edward exclaimed as if no one had even spoken. "If there's no sign of them in five more minutes, then I…" Edward's words stopped abruptly as he spun around, eyes boring out into the surrounding forest with an aghast expression appearing on his face.

_Edward? What's wrong, son?_ Edward, without responding to Carlisle's concerned thought, raced off into the trees.

"Oh," Alice said, nodding in realization. "Judging from the fact that Edward just disappeared, he must have heard Jacob returning."

"Then what was with his expression?" Abraham pointed out.

"Abraham, Carlisle, please wait here," Vermundr requested. "Alice and I can go see what's wrong. That is, if you're agreeable to that, Alice?"

"Of course," Alice agreed.

With that, Alice and Vermundr both hurried off in the direction Edward had gone off in. They caught up to him a few yards away, standing completely still, staring in horror at Jacob, who was lying on his side, breathing heavily. Jacob looked as if he had just gotten over a bad stomach bug, complete with a washed out pallor and sweat coating his hairline. Protruding from his hip was what looked like a dart that would've been fired from a primitive blowgun. Alice and Vermundr arrived just in time to see Jacob lethargically pull the dart out and discard it on the ground. Instantly, Vermundr picked up the dart gingerly between two fingers. Wordlessly, he ran a fingertip over the tip of the dart before placing it into his mouth to taste.

"Nightshade and nettle toxin," he growled, identifying the substance the dart had been coated with. "A rather high dosage of it, too. Jacob, you ran into the carnival, didn't you?"

"I don't know how we couldn't smell them," Jacob muttered weakly. "They must have figured out how to hide their scent somehow."

"What happened?" Alice urged, eyes wide with fear.

"Bella and I were by this forest stream, trying to decide which way we should go," Jacob explained, clearly angry at himself. "Out of nowhere, there were two men standing on the opposite bank. I swear, neither of us smelled them, or even heard them before they appeared. It was like they materialized out of nowhere. One of them had what looked like some kind of bolas, and he threw it at Bella. Of course, she was able to dodge out of the way, but it hit a tree that was right behind us, and the bolas weights exploded upon impact, showering the air around us with some sort of powder. It must have been that bloodroot stuff, because Bella just collapsed, and I couldn't get her up on her feet again. The men started to cross the stream, and I phased, hoping it would scare them off. It seemed to work. At least, it made them stop in their tracks. I took that chance to try and pull Bella onto my back so I could carry her. But just as I started to run off, I got hit with that dart. The moment that happened, I swear the world just started to spin violently, and I completely lost my footing. Bella, she… she managed to fight off the bloodroot just enough to tell me to keep running and to get help."

"So you left her behind," Edward spoke in a flat voice, his face and tone unreadable.

"I'm sorry, Edward! I really am!" Jacob exclaimed. "I tried to get her out of there, but the toxin in the dart had me seeing everything in spider vision. I wouldn't have been able to do anything to help her if I stayed. I just would have been captured, too."

"He has a point, Edward," Alice reasoned. "If he hadn't gotten away, he wouldn't have been able to tell us what happened." Edward, however, did not seem to hear his sister's words, and instead started to pace the ground once again, digging his fingers into his hair in agitation.

"I _knew_ I should have gone with them," he snapped deploringly. "I should have been there! I could have…"

" _Edward_!" The harshness of Vermundr's tone somehow seemed to snap Edward out of it, but not quickly enough to for him to dodge Vermundr's fist as it connected with his cheek. Reeling from the sudden blow, Edward stumbled back a few paces and looked back at Vermundr in shock. In response, Vermundr folded his arms across his chest, fixing Edward with a piercing glare, eyes narrowed in concentration. After a few tense seconds, Edward's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Perhaps you're right," he consented. "Maybe I _did_ need that."

"Yes, I think you did," Vermundr agreed. "Standing around and beating yourself up about the matter is not going to help Bella. And I swear to you, we WILL get her back. You have my word on that. But first, we'll need to go back and fill in Carlisle and Abraham. Perhaps they have a good idea of what we should do now."

* * *

Bella tried in vain to at least move a finger as the two men carried her into a wide clearing, filled with a multitude of strange new scents and sounds. However, the bloodroot powder she'd inhaled made even that small movement impossible.

"Hurry and get that cage open!" one of the men barked at someone out of Bella's line of sight. "We've got another vampire for the boss."

"What do you think we should tell 'im about that other beast that got away?" the other man inquired. "The huge wolf?"

"Don't worry about that thing," the first man scoffed. "It got hit with the dart I fired. That strangled howling sound it made _confirmed_ it. The toxin will undoubtedly knock it out before long, if it hasn't already. We'll have plenty of time to go out and retrieve that creature later."

If Bella could move, she would have smiled in smug confidence. From the sound of it, Jacob had managed to get away after all. Hopefully, he'd be able to find the others before this dart's toxin could take hold, and if the toxin had potentially hazard effects, Carlisle could surely help him.

As Bella dwelled on this, the men managed to place her into a cage made of wood and iron, closing the door and locking it the moment she was inside. Approximately half an hour after the men had deposited her within the cage and walked off, Bella felt the feeling slowly returning to her limbs, indicating that the effects of the bloodroot was finally wearing off. Once she had regained enough control of her motor functions, she pulled herself into a sitting position. Immediately, she found herself looking at two other vampires; a female with long black hair pulled back into a braid and a sandy-haired male. The latter of the two was looking right back at her with a smarmy grin.

"Well, looks like you've finally decided to grace us with your presence," the male vampire jeered. "It took you long enough to fight off the bloodroot. Did they use their entire supply of it on you, or are you just that weak?" Before Bella could even respond to the taunt, the female vampire instantly appeared behind the male and immediately ripped his ear off.

"Arrrgh!" the male cried out in pain, pressing his hand against the spot where his ear had been. "Why did you do that, woman?"

"Because you _deserved_ it, you cretin," the female snapped, glaring at him in immense dislike. "In case you've forgotten, I was here when you first arrived. It took you a full day before you could even open your mouth to speak. And that is besides the fact that you're clearly too stupid to even realize that you're mocking a vampire who could do far worse than take your ear off. Has confinement interfered with your ability to smell, or are you simply incapable of telling that she's only a few months old?" Growling in annoyance, the male vampire simply grabbed his severed ear and slunk off to the distant corner of the cage, sitting down with his back to them. Casting one more withering glare at her companion, the female vampire turned to Bella with a kind smile.

"First thing you need to learn is that you shouldn't pay any attention to anything that _eldhúsfífl_ says. Sharing this cage with him is quite possibly the worst part of being held here. I hope you'll prove to be better company.

"I trust you have questions," the female continued. "I imagine that being captured like this, particularly when you're still fresh to this life, must be quite confusing."

"This… this is the Carnival of Darkness, isn't it?" Bella guessed, glancing out of the cage to see many others like it, each containing different creatures, some recognizable and others she'd never heard of.

"You know about the carnival?" the female gasped, eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes, my family and I were told about it by a friend of ours. We'd just found out that it was nearby a short time ago. The others went out searching for where it was located, so…"

"You must be crazy," the female interrupted, shaking her head. "Why would you _want_ to find the carnival? If you knew it was nearby, you should have been trying to get as far away as possible!"

"Why wouldn't we try and find the carnival?" Bella argued. "Do you really think my family and I could willingly leave others to suffer when we could do something to prevent it?" In response, the female vampire frowned, but not in a way to suggest she was annoyed with Bella. Instead, she looked as if she was more puzzled by her words than anything else.

"You're awfully unusual for a newborn," she observed. "Most newborns I've encountered through the years were too focused on their thirst and adjusting to their new life. The selfish side of me wishes you had been captured at the same time I was. It would certainly have made things less monotonous around here, and it would have made dealing with my idiot cage-mate over there bearable."

"How long _have_ you been here?" Bella asked, taking note of how the female vampire's eyes were even blacker than her hair. "Your eyes; you _must_ be thirsty."

"That's your first concern?" the female replied with a warm laugh, casually sprawling out on the cage floor next to Bella, folding her arms behind her head in the process. "You know, I _knew_ I would like you from the moment they placed you in here. I always could tell instantly about people, and you're no exception. Imagine, a newborn taken out of the world, robbed of her freedom and thrown into a cage. And so far, all she's done is show concern for the other vampires with her, with no indication that she's worried for herself."

Bella was about to reply by telling the other vampire about how worrying about herself was completely unnecessary since Edward, Alice and the rest of her family would undoubtedly come for her before long, but before she could began, her voice died in her throat. When the female vampire had laid down, the necklace she was wearing, which had been concealed by her tattered blouse, slipped into view, enabling Bella to see the flat rectangular stone that was hanging from the braided cord.

"The Tiwaz rune," Bella gasped, recognizing the symbol that was etched into the stone.

"What was that?" The female glanced up at Bella in question, frowning in confusion once again.

"How…? Where did you get that?" Bella asked pointing at the rune. Immediately, a faraway look appeared in the vampire's eyes as she stroked the rune with a single finger.

"I've always had it," she replied softly. "Why do you ask?" Swallowing compulsory from her shock, Bella had to take a few breaths before she could speak again.

"Are you… Brynhildr?"

The response was immediate. The female sat up at vampire speed, letting out a strangled sound. For a few tense moments, she was absolutely still. Then, ever-so-slowly, she turned to look Bella right in the eyes.

"How do you know my name?" she whispered with a trembling voice.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's that for a twist? Please leave me feedback.


	12. Deadline

"Is there anything I can do to help, Carlisle?" Cassie asked, standing in the doorway of her bedroom. Upon hearing her inquiry, Carlisle glanced up from his task of checking Jacob's vitals for the third time since returning him to the estate, in order to give her a grateful smile. While Abraham, Vermundr, Edward and Alice had gone off to try and find out where Bella had been taken after Jacob was forced to leave her behind, Carlisle had carried Jacob back to the estate in order to better ensure Jacob fully recovered from the effects of the dart's toxin. Not wanting to disturb or alarm Renesmee, who was still fast asleep when they'd arrived, Cassie had gracefully allowed Carlisle to turn her own bedroom into an improvised examination room. While Jacob had fallen into a fever-induced sleep shortly after they'd returned to the estate, his heartbeat and breathing had remained steady enough to prevent Carlisle from growing too concerned.

"I appreciate the offer, Cassie," Carlisle replied. "But with the limited medical equipment that's available in this century, there's not much more that can be done other than to just let him rest. All things considered, I think that, thanks to Jacob's enhanced metabolism, he's doing just fine in fighting off the toxin on his own.

"All the same, it might be best to try and keep Nessie as preoccupied as possible once she wakes up," he continued, guiding Cassie out of the room to allow Jacob to sleep it off. "It'll be hard enough for her if she finds out that Bella was captured by the Carnival. Seeing Jacob like this on top of everything might be too much for her."

"Of course," Cassie agreed. "She looked to be sound asleep when I checked in on her a minute ago, but once she does wake up, I was going to bring her out to the stable to help groom Nightmare."

"Yes, that might be a good idea," Carlisle said with a nod.

"Carlisle? Do you think… that the others will be careful?"

"I don't see why they wouldn't be," Carlisle reasoned. "Particularly after what happened tonight, or rather last night, I'm confident that none of us will take things lightly."

"Yes, I know you have a point," Cassie relented. "It's just that… sometimes I worry about Abraham and Vermundr."

"Well, I admit that I have not been around them as long as you have," Carlisle acknowledged. "But from what I've gathered this far, they do seem to be good at what they do."

"Yes, that's what I worry about," Cassie explained, glancing at her feet. "I worry that their success as monster hunters has made them… I wouldn't go so far as to call them arrogant or careless. But there are times when they just seem too sure of themselves. Sometimes, I get the feeling that they forget that Abraham is only a human. Every time they go out on a monster hunting job, I just get worried that that will be the day when one of them won't return home."

"Have you ever discussed your concerns with them?" Carlisle asked.

"No, of course not!" Cassie exclaimed. "I'd be too afraid of sounding like I have no faith in them and their abilities. After everything they've done for me, I could never risk offending them."

"Wouldn't they be more offended if they thought you didn't feel like you could be completely honest with them?" Carlisle pointed out kindly.

"Oh, I never thought of it that way before," Cassie admitted, looking slightly embarrassed.

In response, Carlisle placed an understanding hand on her shoulder, but before he could say anything, he paused, only just keeping his eyes from widening in surprise. In the silence that had fallen, he was able to distinctly hear a soft sound. It was so faint that, even with his advanced hearing, he wouldn't have been able to hear it if someone was speaking or making any other kind of noise. But once the silence had fallen between him and Cassie, he could hear it, and no matter how quiet the sound was, it was a noise he could always identify instantly.

Before Carlisle could question Cassie about the origin of the quiet sound, the guest room's door opened and Renesmee poked her head out.

"Morning, Grandpa, Cassie," the little girl greeted, stepping out into the hall with Grimalkin trailing behind her. "Are Mommy, Daddy and the others back yet?"

"Um… actually, Nessie," Carlisle spoke kindly, adopting the tone of voice he usually used with his patients. "Something unexpected came up last night. Jacob was hurt, but it's nothing too serious. He's resting in Cassie's room right now, and it will probably be best if we let him sleep for a while. As for Edward, Bella and the others, they are going to be out a little longer than they originally planned. But I'm sure they'll come back before the day is through."

"In the meantime," Cassie added. "I could use some help in the stables. It's been a while since we groomed Nightmare. And maybe, if we bring her some apples, she might even agree to let you ride her for a while."

"Okay," Renesmee agreed.

* * *

"This is it," Edward announced as he, Abraham, Alice and Vermundr stopped at the bank of a forest stream. "This is the place I saw in Jacob's mind. The two carnival workers appeared right over there." Without waiting for the others to make an official decision, he leapt over to the opposite bank, in hopes of picking up Bella's scent trail, but to no avail.

"I wonder if they traveled upstream, or even downstream," Abraham thought out loud. "The water would certainly make it hard to leave behind a scent trail, which would discourage anyone who'd try to come after them."

"I don't think so," Alice disagreed, joining Edward on the opposite bank and examining the bark on a tree. "Look at this! There's a scrap of material caught on the bark; the same color and material as the dress Bella was wearing. Her shoulder must have brushed against it when the carnival workers carried her off, and the dress must have snagged on the bark."

"That means we're on the right path," Edward announced, taking a few strides away from the stream bank. He only stopped when he heard the sound of his friends all starting in shock. Looking back, he saw Alice, Vermundr and Abraham staring in his general direction, disbelief etched all over their faces.

"What? What happened?" Edward demanded, doubling back. "Did you see something?"

"No," Alice replied, mystified. "That's the problem."

"The moment you walked past that elm tree over there, you completely vanished," Vermundr explained. "One moment you were there, and the next, you weren't. We couldn't even hear your footsteps. And then, you reappeared, just as quickly as you'd disappeared."

"I wonder," Abraham spoke in contemplation, crossing the stream by wading across and walking past Edward, only stopping when he had reached the indicated elm tree. Wordlessly, he lifted an arm and reached out. As his hand extended past the elm tree, it vanished from sight, almost as if an invisible curtain had been draped over it.

"Abraham!" Vermundr cried in alarm, dashing forward to pull him away.

"I'm okay, Vermundr, see?" Abraham replied, holding up his arm to confirm his point. "Not a scratch. But don't you realize? This explains why we couldn't find the carnival, and why Jacob and Bella couldn't see, smell, or hear those two carnival workers until it was too late. There's a protective barrier around the perimeter, almost like the one that exists around Baba Yaga's tree. And anybody who goes past the barrier becomes completely shrouded in sight, scent and sound."

"Like a one-way mirror," Alice realized, catching on to what Abraham was implying. "Can they really do that?"

"They found a way to keep beings like us inside cages, didn't they?" Vermundr pointed out. "When you take that into consideration, creating a barrier like that doesn't seem so impossible."

"In any event, it looks like we found where the Carnival of Darkness has made camp," Abraham concluded. "And who knows? Once we're on the other side of the barrier, we may pick up Bella's scent trail or at least that of the carnival workers."

"I just hope we get there before the branding," Vermundr snarled.

"Branding?" Edward snapped, rounding on him.

"Have you forgotten the brand mark on my chest, Edward? All newcomers into the Carnival of Darkness undergo the branding within the first few hours after capture. And once you're branded, you're magically tethered to your appointed cage, and unless you manage to destroy the enchanted seal that's carved into the roof of the cage, you are unable to stray beyond a three-foot radius."

"Then it sounds like we don't have much time to stand around," Alice pointed out.

With these words, the four friends moved past the invisible barrier and proceeded to track down the carnival.

* * *

Within their cage, Brynhildr was sitting with her mouth agape as Bella wrapped up the story of how she'd ended up being captured by the Carnival of Darkness. After a long, pregnant pause, the older vampire finally spoke.

"Am I to understand that… you're telling me my _bróðir_ survived?"

"For all this time," Bella explained. "He thought that you had been killed that night. He's been forever searching for the vampire you were both fighting before he was changed, in order to avenge you and the rest of your human village." Brynhildr didn't reply. She simply stared off into space with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"It's going to be okay, Brynhildr," Bella continued. "I already told you that we were planning on saving as many as we could from the Carnival. And I know Edward and the others will come for me before much longer. And when Vermundr sees that you're here, too, there's no way he'll leave you behind."

"And you plan on just leaving me here while the pair of you dash off with your white knights?" the male vampire, who Bella had almost forgotten was even there, snarled. For a second, it looked as if Brynhildr was about to say something in retort, but she jerked her head to the left before she uttered a single syllable.

"It's him," she announced, glaring at something. "He's back."

"Who?" Bella turned to glance in the direction Brynhildr was glaring in.

"Josiah. He's the human who runs the carnival." As Brynhildr spoke, Bella saw a man emerging from the surrounding forests and stepping into the clearing. One look at the expression on his face was enough to make Bella realize that this was someone who was not the least bit likable. His most distinguishable feature, however, was his left hand, which hung limply at his side, visibly mangled beyond repair.

"What happened to his hand?" Bella whispered to Brynhildr.

"I do not know. Whatever it was, it happened before I was captured. Now, please hold off on the questions for a while. Whenever Josiah shows his face here, it's usually to give his followers instructions. When you see him make an appearance, it's always best to keep quiet and listen." Bella silently agreed and joined Brynhildr in listening to what Josiah was saying.

"What were you trying to pull, collecting _another_ vampire?" Josiah shouted, glaring in fury at one of his employees. "We've already got two vampires! I expected all of you to round up creatures we _didn't_ already have. First, you sit back and allow that zombie to get away before the branding was complete, and now, I find you're wasting valuable time and resources to bring me a creature that was already represented!"

"But Josiah," the man stammered. "The vampire female we just captured was straying dangerously close to the boundary line. She might have discovered us."

"Are you always this _stupid_?" Josiah barked. "The barrier is still up, isn't it? As long as that barrier holds, no one, not even a vampire could smell, hear or see any trace of us unless they're right on top of us. Now, because of your incompetence, we've wasted valuable time. How many times do I have to remind all of you? The ritual must be performed during the full moon, and that's only one week away! If we don't have a complete sampling of all existing immortal creatures by then, we'll have to wait even longer. And I want to eliminate every last one of those wretched… _things_ from the face of the earth as soon as possible."

"Well, there is still the wolf to pick up," the man suggested timidly.

"What wolf?"

"When we picked up the female vampire, there was a man with her. He turned into a very large wolf."

"A Lycan? You really are a fool! We've _already_ captured a Lycan. Or did you imbeciles place an ordinary human male into the cage next to the Manicore's?"

"No, I mean, yes!" the man choked out nervously. "I mean… the wolf that was with the vampire, Josiah! He was able to become a wolf _without_ a full moon! We thought that it might be something completely new!"

"A Lycan who can change forms independently of the lunar phase?" Josiah spoke slowly, seemingly turning this new information over in his head. "Well… that _is_ something. I suppose you fools aren't a complete waste. Where is this wolf, now?"

"Well… we're not quite sure where it is at this precise time, sir. But Reginald managed to hit it dead on with one of the darts, so it couldn't have gotten that far."

"For your sake, you better be right," Josiah snarled. "Now, I'm going to head out with Reginald to search for this wolf. I expect you to handle the branding of the new additions. That is, if you think you can handle that?" Giving one final withering glare at the other carnival workers, Josiah turned and stalked off, with the man he referred to as Reginald hurrying after him.

"Did I just hear that right?" Bella whispered in shock, sharing a wide-eyed look with Brynhildr. "They're… going to perform a ritual that will wipe out every immortal from the world?"

"Every immortal creature that is exhibited here," Brynhildr replied, glancing out of her cage to take stock of the other creatures present. "Every manicore, every griffin, every gnome, every…."

"And every vampire!" Bella cried, paling instantly as her thoughts went to her family. "Every single one, removed from the world. _Forever_!"


	13. The Branding

Bella and Brynhildr barely had time to fully process the news about what was planned for them when three of the carnival workers came right up to their cage, carrying long poles that made Bella think of the catch poles that were often utilized by animal control, except for the tiny spikes that lined the noose. Two of the workers shoved the poles through the cage bars, securing the nooses around the necks of Brynhildr and the male vampire. Acting on instinct, Bella made to try and stop the carnival workers, but quickly realized that the bloodroot was still leaving her partially incapacitated. Henceforth, she couldn't fight off the third carnival worker when he opened the cage door and affixed his spiked catchpole around her neck. To Bella's surprise, the spikes on the noose pierced her skin, and she instantly felt even more lethargic.

"Brynhildr, what's happening?" Bella cried, gripping the pole in a desperate attempt to force it off her neck.

"They're taking you to be branded," Brynhildr replied, gritting her teeth as the spiked catchpole held her in place. "Don't try and fight them; they lace the spikes with bloodroot, so every time you struggle, it'll get worse." Bella decided to listen to Brynhildr's words and willingly allowed the carnival worker to pull her out of the cage and lead her away as the other two carnival workers closed and secured the cage door behind her.

The carnival worker dragged Bella to the edge of the clearing where a bonfire was burning away. Already, there were a good number of other creatures gathered at the bonfire, being restrained with the spiked catchpoles. While some of them were creatures Bella had never even heard of, she was able to identify an old gnome and a magnificent unicorn among the beasts. As she was forced to her knees next to a nine-tailed fox, she noticed that while most of the carnival workers in attendance were occupied with restraining the other creatures, there were two that were standing apart from the others. While Bella recognized one of the men as the one Josiah was reprimanding earlier, she didn't recognize the other one, who was wearing a heavy looking burgundy robe with elaborate embroidery.

"Is this all of the new ones?" the robed man inquired, turning to his companion.

"Yes, it is," the other man confirmed.

"Then let's get this over with," Robed Man hissed, turning to the bonfire. Without further preamble, he reached into a pouch attached to his belt and took out a handful of fine white powder, which he tossed into the fire. Immediately, the flames took on an eerie green color.

Just when Robed Man was picking up one of the branding irons that had been heating above the hot coals, the old gnome started struggling.

"Leggo of me!" the gnome ordered, straining against the spiked catchpole, causing tiny drops of muddy-looking brown blood to trickle down his neck. "Ye cannot hold me here, human!"

Robed Man cast a withering glare at the gnome before giving a curt nod to the carnival workers who were restraining the gnome. In the blink of an eye, the carnival workers in question withdrew iron clubs and began to rain hard blows down on the hapless gnome. To Bella's horror, the carnival workers continued to beat the gnome even after his cries of pain had shifted into pitiful whimpers. They only backed off when Robed Man held up a hand. For a few seconds, the gnome lay absolutely still, leaving Bella thinking that the poor creature had been beaten to death, but the low groan that slipped from his throat proved that he was indeed still alive. Showing no remorse for what they'd just done, the carnival workers reached down and yanked the gnome to his feet, paying no attention to how their mere touch caused the gnome to scream in pain. With a grim, unfeeling look on his face, Robed Man stepped forward and pressed the branding iron against the gnome's chest, forcing the creature to scream even louder. The instant the gnome was branded, the carnival workers began dragging him back to his cage and Robed Man turned to select another branding iron before making his way to the unicorn.

Not wanting to see anymore, Bella turned her head away, but she could do nothing to block out the sounds of the unicorn's agitated snorts, followed by a heartbreakingly agonized whinny. The pattern continued as the creatures surrounding the bonfire were branded one-by-one. Before Bella knew it, the handsome nine-tailed fox that had been positioned at her left was being dragged off with a fresh brand mark on his haunch. It was now her turn, and thanks to the remaining bloodroot in her lungs, as well as the fresh application from her catchpole's spikes, she couldn't even try to resist as the carnival workers forced her forward to kneel before Robed Man. Paying no attention to Bella's growl of fury, Robed Man reached out to form a tear in the top of Bella's period dress, exposing the top of her left breast. Gritting her teeth, Bella fixed him with an intense glare as the branding iron neared her skin, making a silent promise to herself that she would not give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

At the last possible second, two things happened at once. A trio of enraged roars tore through the air, and the branding iron flew out of Robed Man's hand and straight into a tree three yards away, snapping in two upon impact. An instant later, Alice, Edward and Vermundr were standing there, their expressions all displaying their true vampire nature. Moving at vampire speed, Vermundr was at the enchanted bonfire, striking at it with his sword in a single fluid motion, sending the burning coals into the air in an impressive wave of sparks. Meanwhile, Edward went right for Robed Man, sending him flying backward while still tempering his strength to keep himself from accidentally killing him, while Alice wrenched the catchpoles restraining Bella out of the hands of the carnival workers before doing the same for the other creatures who hadn't been branded yet.

As the remaining unbranded creatures all took advantage of their freedom to escape, and the carnival workers hurried off in fear of the attacking vampires, Bella staggered to her feet. The moment she retained her footing, however, she found herself being lifted into the air as Edward appeared beside her, pulling her into an ardent embrace. Even after they came up for air, Edward kept her firmly in his arms with their lips only a centimeter apart.

"I thought we were too late," he choked out, his body trembling in anguish. "When I saw you kneeling on the ground, with them about to mark you with the branding iron, I…" Instead of finishing his statement, Edward simply moved in for another long kiss, one which Bella reciprocated with enthusiasm. They were only pulled back to reality when Vermundr's enraged shout reached them.

"Far enough, _sir_ ," he bellowed. Pulling apart in unison, Edward and Bella glanced over just in time to see Robed Man had returned and was now coming at them with a burning branch, only to have Vermundr grab him by the back of the robe. In a flash, Vermundr had Robed Man up against a tree, where Vermundr used a discarded catchpole to bind Robed Man's arm to a branch.

"A shining example of humanity at its best, you are." Vermundr snarled, a murderous glint appearing in his eyes as he pressed the tip of his sword to Robed Man's throat. "It must take a _lot_ of courage to not only oppress creatures that cannot defend themselves, but also to attack someone while their backs are turned. Talk fast; give me one good reason why I should not have you feel a taste of what you and your friends have inflicted on the immortals you've imprisoned?"

"Go ahead, demon," Robed Man spat in spite. "Your days of fouling the world with your presence are at an end anyway!" Vermundr's face contorted in rage, and he drew back his sword, clearly preparing to strike. However, his arm suddenly froze in place.

"Stand down, Vermundr!" Abraham exclaimed, stepping forward, staring in concentration at Vermundr's sword arm, which was now starting to shake.

"Abraham," Vermundr growled through gritted teeth. "Release my arm! You're not going to change my mind!"

"I'm sorry, old friend," Abraham replied, shaking his head. "But I'm going to have to refuse your request. You know deep down why I can't let you kill him, even _if_ he deserves it. Think about it. You'd be no better than _him_. And don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about. Be the bigger man, Vermundr." Upon hearing Abraham's words, Vermundr's eyes widened, and the fight instantly vanished from his expression. Wordlessly, he returned his sword to the sheath secured to his back.

"Very well, Abraham," Vermundr said, relenting. "Let's go home. After all, the others will want to know that Bella's safe." Ignoring Robed Man's continuing curses and insults, the group turned to return to the estate. Before they could take more than ten steps, however, Bella's legs gave way.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Alice asked in concern.

"It's probably the remnants of the bloodroot," Abraham surmised. "It might not have completely worn off yet. Thus, it may very well be a while longer before Bella can walk long distances on her own." Almost immediately, a soft, tender smile appeared on Edward's face. Stepping forward, he gently took Bella's arms and, with a well-practiced movement, pulled her up onto his back.

"Oh!" Bella breathed out, meeting Edward's eyes when he turned his head slightly to smile back at her. Knowing that they were both remembering the same memories with fondness, she bent down to place a soft kiss against the side of his neck, prompting him to make a low, appreciative sound.

"Let's go," Edward suggested, lifting Bella's hand from its place on his shoulder to place a quick kiss on her palm. Needing no further invitation, the friends began the trip back to the estate, with Edward, Alice and Vermundr tempering their speed so Abraham could keep up with them.

* * *

Jacob snapped awake as he felt the foot of the bed being slightly jostled. Glancing down, he saw the cat, Grimalkin, sitting by his feet, glancing back at him with her luminous green and yellow eyes, her tail curling around her front paws. For a few seconds, Jacob simply shifted uncomfortably in the bed, unable to ignore how the sheets beneath him were completely drenched with fever-induced sweat. When the memory of what had happened in the woods hours before came back to him, he nearly leapt out of bed. The sudden change in elevation, however, made the room around him start to pitch violently, and he dropped to his knees, accidentally knocking over a wooden framed clock that had been sitting on a nearby table. Seconds later, Carlisle appeared at the door, no doubt alerted by the sound of the clock hitting the floor.

"Jacob, you shouldn't be exerting yourself," he instructed. "There's no telling how long it will take before the dart's toxin will completely work its way out of your system."

"No, it's alright," Jacob insisted, shaking his head. "I'm only a little dizzy now. I think I just need some fresh air."

"All right," Carlisle agreed after a pause. "Let me help you down the stairs. Nessie will be happy to see you're awake; she's outside with Cassie right now." Gratefully, Jacob allowed Carlisle to act as a 'human' crutch and help him make his way to the main entryway. Upon opening the door to step outside, they both got a brief glimpse of Renesmee riding Nightmare across the front lawn under the watchful eye of Cassie before Renesmee let out an elated cry and leapt clean off Nightmare's back, racing toward the trees at top speed. The reason for her excitement became clear when Alice, Abraham, Vermundr, Edward and Bella stepped into view seconds later. Bella carefully slid off Edward's back just in time to meet her daughter's embrace.

"Thank Heaven she's safe," Carlisle whispered, smiling in relief at the sight of Bella as the returning group made their way up to the estate, with Cassie hurrying over to greet Abraham and Vermundr.

"Bella," Jacob choked out once they'd reached the house. "I… I'm so, so sorry about leaving you behind like that. I…"

"No, Jake," Bella insisted, shaking her head. "I _wanted_ you to run, remember? If you stayed, you would have been caught, too. And then, who would have gotten word to everyone else? Besides, I saw that dart hit you. For all I knew, it could have been poisoned."

"Well, it was, sorta." Jacob shrugged nonchalantly. "But I think the toxin's been burned away now. At least the world's stopped spinning."

"In any event," Abraham announced. "I think this answered the questions we had about whether or not the Carnival of Darkness had changed since the days when Vermundr was held prisoner there."

"Actually, Abraham," Bella said, turning to him with a dark look on her face. "They're an even _bigger_ threat this time." With that, Bella proceeded to tell them all about how the Carnival of Darkness was preparing for a sacrificial ritual that would take place on the upcoming full moon; a ritual that would forever wipe out all immortal beings on the planet.

" _Every_ immortal creature?!" Alice cried in alarm. "But why?" "There were a lot of dangerous looking monsters there," Edward remembered. "Monsters that humans have good reason to fear. I suppose it makes sense that they want to do a thorough job of it."

"Like the Great Flood," Carlisle surmised, catching on to Edward's train of thought. "Only in this case, it wouldn't be possible to create an arc to spare a select few."

"That _still_ seems a bit too extreme," Jacob pointed out. "I mean, I can understand why someone in this century would want to wipe out the more feared monsters. There was a time when I would have been right on board with _that_ idea. But to also kill the creatures that are traditionally seen as benevolent and revered? Like that unicorn Bella saw get branded, for example? That's almost like... bombing an entire city just to get rid of one man. What kind of person would go to extremes like that?"

"From the sound of it," Bella announced. "It's mainly the plan of the carnival's leader, Josiah, but the others…."

"JOSAIAH?!" Abraham and Vermundr cried out in unison while Cassie let out an unusual strangled sound. Seconds later, Cassie's legs buckled and she dropped to her knees, with Vermundr instantly moving to her side to steady her.

"His name is _Josiah_ , Bella?" Abraham hissed, an expression of the utmost fury appearing on his face. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Bella confirmed. "Why? Do you know him?"

"Y-Yes," Cassie whispered, her voice shaking. "Yes, Bella. We know him. You remember the night you first arrived at the estate? When I told you about how I met Abraham and Vermundr, after Abraham saved me from the prospective client?"

"Are you saying that Josiah was the client?" Bella guessed.

"He was."

"What are you talking about?" Jacob spoke up. "What client?"

"Oh," Cassie said, blinking in surprise. "You mean Bella didn't tell you what we talked about when we were putting little Renesmee to bed that first night?"

"Bella said that she felt that the things you spoke of were told to her in confidence," Edward explained. In response, Cassie gave a weak smile.

"I appreciate that, Bella. Believe me, I do. But my past is crucial to the explanation about Josiah and our connection to him." With that, Cassie turned to face the others in order to fill them in.

"To know all about Josiah," she began. "You need to know about how I used to be a Lady of the Evening. Please do not ask me why I lived that life. That is another story entirely. And it is no exaggeration to say I am not proud of it."

As Cassie paused to gather the courage to continue, Renesmee, frowning at the unfamiliar term, stepped forward to place a hand against her cheek, silently asking.

"Oh," Cassie chuckled humorlessly, patting her hand while Edward instantly stiffened on pure instinct. "It means that I would spend time with men in return for money. It's not a pleasant way to earn money, however. Usually, only someone who is absolutely desperate will resort to that job. You see, the men I would spend time with were allowed to treat me however they wanted. They could even hurt me if they had the mind to, and I wouldn't be allowed to defend myself."

"So, Josiah was one of your clients," Alice concluded, filling in the blanks, looking as if she was about to be sick, if that was at all possible.

"No, but he _was_ interested," Cassie explained. "I gather he heard about me from an acquaintance, for he sought me out one night. I almost agreed, but… the things he had planned for me went far beyond where I was willing to go. When I tried to refuse his money, he got angry. _Very_ angry. If Abraham hadn't happened to be passing by on his way back to a nearby inn - after taking care of a nixie that had somehow wound up in the harbors of Bristol - and if he hadn't driven Josiah off with his crossbow, I'm confident I would have died that night. Following that night, Abraham and Vermundr took me in, offering me a safe haven. It wasn't long before I had all but completely forgotten about Josiah. But about two months later….

"I need to make it clear before I continue," Cassie announced. "I'm sure you've all remembered how I'd mentioned in passing that it took me a while before I got used to Vermundr. While I did slowly start to understand that he wasn't planning to kill or feed on me, I still couldn't let myself be at ease when we were in the same room. There was always that small part of me that could not overlook the fact that he was a vampire. For that reason, while it might seem like an inconsequential thing in hindsight, the event that befell on that fateful evening was enough to leave me petrified at the time."

**Flashback**

Cassie followed Abraham back into the estate, their arms laden with raw vegetables and fresh bread they had gotten from town.

"Well, looks like we got home just in time," Abraham commented, turning to look outside before closing the door, watching as the rain started pouring down as if the heavens had opened up instantly. "I wouldn't want to be caught outside in this weather." In response, Cassie simply smiled gently, making a noise of agreement.

"Thank you for your help in town, Abraham," Cassie said softly, slipping the basket of beets off of Abraham's arm. "I think I'll make some potage tonight."

"That sounds good," Abraham agreed gratefully. "Oh, that reminds me. I mentioned to Vermundr about how you thought you saw a rat in the kitchen the other day. He promised he'd deal with it."

"Oh," Cassie replied, unable to meet Abraham's eyes upon the mention of Vermundr. "Well, please thank him for me."

Without another word, Cassie turned and made her way to the kitchen. Upon reaching the kitchen's doorway, however, the sight waiting for her made her release an audible gasp, dropping the basket of beets in shock. One of the beets rolled across the kitchen floor, only stopping when it bumped up against Vermundr, who was crouching down in the middle of the floor. Vermundr, who had heard Cassie's gasp, immediately met her eyes, freezing in place. However, this meant that he continued to hold a large dead rat to his mouth, his teeth still embedded into the rodent's limp body. Three more rats were lying dead on the ground nearby.

"Cassie," Vermundr said, finally pulling his teeth out of the dead rat. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you and Abraham back for another few minutes. I'll get the bodies out of here before…"

Vermundr's words were cut off when Cassie let out a strangled scream. His expression shifting to show his concern, Vermundr stood to his full height and took a few steps forward.

"Stay back!" Cassie cried in panic, backing away while her face paled. "I can't handle this anymore! You just… I… I can't…" In the blink of an eye, Cassie turned and ran out of the kitchen. Without making a conscious decision to do so, she was running out of the estate and out into the storm, heading straight into the surrounding woods. As she ran, there was a part of her that was surprised that Vermundr wasn't appearing in front of her to stop her.

When she'd gone out about two miles, Cassie had to stop to try and catch her breath. It was only then that she'd fully realized what she had done. She had just run blindly into the forests after nightfall, after Abraham and Vermundr had told her that a great number of immortal beasts who lived in the woods came out at night. To make matters worse, she had no idea how to find her way out again. And thanks to the storm, she was now soaked down to the bone.

Just when she'd started to feel true panic, the easily identifiable sound of a horse-drawn wagon coming down a muddy path reached her ears. Putting all her effort into remaining calm, Cassie followed the direction of the sound and quickly found herself at the road that ran through the woods. To her immense relief, she could make out the wagon she'd heard heading towards her. Desperate for help, Cassie lifted a hand to wave the driver down. When the wagon lurched to a stop, a grateful smile appeared on Cassie's face, and she hurried over to thank the driver. The instant she reached him, however, the bottom of her stomach instantly dropped. The lit lantern that was hanging from the carriage illuminated the driver's face, and even though she had only seen that face once a little over two months ago, Cassie instantly recognized it. And from the cruel gleam in his eyes, Cassie realized that he recognized her as well.

"Josiah," she whispered in shocked horror, taking an instinctual step back.

"Well, if it isn't the voluptuous Cassandra?" Josiah smirked, leering hungrily at the way Cassie's soaking wet dress was clinging to her skin. "Imagine running into _you_ out here."

Without any noticeable warning, Josiah lunged forward, moving to grab Cassie, but she managed to dodge his hand, turning to run down the path. However, Josiah leapt from the driver's seat and quickly overtook her, lifting her clean off her feet. Keeping a firm, unbreakable grip on her, Josiah started to drag her back to his carriage. Before he managed to reach the carriage, however, a shout rang through the air.

"CASSIE!"

In unison, Josiah and Cassie looked over to see Abraham appearing on the path, racing towards them atop Nightmare. Upon reaching them, Abraham slid off Nightmare's back and took three strides forward, his glare focused on Josiah.

"Enough, Josiah," Abraham demanded, his voice strong and commanding. "Let her go."

"Ah, so she's been with _you_ all this time," Josiah sneered. "Well then, she  must be worth the money, since you've kept her to yourself for so long."

"I said, _let her go!_ " Abraham repeated, this time pulling his crossbow off his belt and quickly loading it. For good measure, he fired off a warning shot, with the bolt coming within an inch of Josiah's ear. Josiah's survival instincts forced him to stumble backwards. This enabled Cassie to escape his grasp, and she immediately ran to Abraham's side. Still keeping his crossbow at the ready, Abraham maneuvered Cassie behind him with one arm, whispering to her to get on Nightmare through the corner of his mouth.

"Surely you did not think I'd let things end like they did the last time, did you?" Josiah's taunt rang out. Upon glancing back at him, Cassie froze instantly at the sight of a flintlock pistol in Josiah's hand, which was now being aimed in the direction of her and Abraham. Abraham, also noticing the weapon, tightened his grip on Cassie, urging her further behind his back.

"Now, listen very closely," Josiah instructed, smiling in maddened triumph. "You are to slowly place that crossbow of yours on the ground and back away from it. Then, you are to walk away from the woman and stand against that tree there. If you make any movement to stop me, there will be a bullet in your head before you even know you're dead."

"Abraham," Cassie whispered in fear, feeling the tears start to form in her eyes.

"It will be all right, Cass," Abraham whispered back, squeezing her hand to offer some comfort. "Do not be afraid; it will be all right." Without taking his eyes off Josiah, Abraham carefully sank to his knees, placing his crossbow slowly on the rain-soaked path. However, neither Josiah nor Cassie noticed when Abraham purposely pricked his index finger against the tip of the crossbow bolt, drawing a few drops of his blood.

"That's right. Nice and slow," Josiah ordered as Abraham backed up towards the indicated tree.

Once Abraham had done what he'd been asked to do, Josiah strode forward towards Cassie, but instead of taking her prisoner, he turned and aimed his pistol right at Abraham, pulling the flintlock back with an ominous click.

"You're really far too trusting," Josiah mocked. "You _really_ believed I would leave you alive to come follow us? Oh, don't worry; I'll take good care of the woman for you."

"NO!" Cassie shrieked, pushing her way past Josiah to reach Abraham's side, positioning herself in front of him to become a human shield. "Josiah, please! Please don't kill him! I'll come with you willingly, just _please_ leave Abraham be!"

"Keep your mouth _shut_ , you little harlot," Josiah sneered. "I'm sure he doesn't pay you to talk."

"I will _not_ keep my mouth shut!" Cassie insisted, suddenly appearing stronger than she'd ever been before. "I will not stand quietly by while you threaten Abraham. Not when he's ten times the man you'll ever be, you _coward_!"

"Hold your tongue, woman!" Josiah bellowed, clearly stung by the insult. "Do so of your own accord, or I will close your mouth for you."

"No! No more! I'm not going to cower before men like you ever _again_!"

"FINE!" Josiah screamed, looking completely mad. "Then let the crows and wild beasts feast on _two_ bodies come 'morrow!"

As Josiah prepared to fire his pistol, Cassie quickly closed her eyes, bracing herself for her inevitable end, feeling a wave of gratitude towards Abraham when she felt him wrap his arms around her in a comforting hug. Seconds later, a loud gunshot rang through the air, and Cassie instinctively flinched at the sound, particularly when she heard the agonized cry of extreme pain. However, she slowly started to realize that it wasn't Abraham who screamed, and she felt no pain herself. In confusion, she opened her eyes and chanced a glance over at Josiah. When the scene before her fully registered, her eyes flew open in surprise.

Josiah was now standing a few feet away from where he'd been moments before, his face contorted in agony. His left hand, which had previously been holding the pistol, was now wedged firmly in between a large tree and Vermundr's fist. After about a minute passed, Vermundr, his enraged expression completely betraying his identity as a vampire, finally withdrew his fist, allowing the whimpering Josiah to sink to his knees, gingerly cradling his crushed hand.

"Word to the wise, human," Vermundr snarled, his voice dripping with distain and rage. " _No one_ threatens my family." As the vampire spoke, he reached out and gripped Josiah by the neck, lifting him up off the ground. It was only when Cassie noticed that Josiah's face was starting to turn blue that she realized Vermundr had no intention of releasing him.

"Vermundr, _stop_!" Cassie pleaded, pulling herself out of Abraham's arms to hurry over to the pair. Without hesitation, she grabbed Vermundr's arm and vainly started to try to pry his fingers off Josiah's neck. "Vermundr, don't do it! Please, let him go! I know he probably doesn't deserve it, but I beg you to spare his life all the same! Please, Vermundr, show him mercy! Be the bigger man! _PLEASE_!" The moment that final plea escaped Cassie's lips, Vermundr's expression instantly changed. It was if he'd suddenly realized where he was and what he was doing. In a matter of seconds, he'd released his grip on Josiah's neck, allowing him to drop to the ground where he lay gasping for breath.

"Listen well, human," Vermundr announced slowly, a menacing growl still evident in his voice. "The only reason you are still breathing now is because Cassie, the woman you _threatened_ , asked me to spare your life. My advice to you? Get back to your wagon and drive away now. Before I change my mind."

Josiah, still wheezing and whimpering from the pain in his now useless hand, staggered to his feet and stumbled to the wagon. It wasn't until Josiah's wagon was well out of sight that Vermundr's rigid stance finally relaxed.

* * *

A short time later, Cassie and Abraham were back in the estate's withdrawing chamber, with Cassie sitting before a blazing fire, wrapped snuggly in a warm blanket.

"Here, drink this," Abraham offered, gently handing Cassie a mug filled with a pleasant-smelling liquid. "They call it hot chocolate. It's fairly new drink, and not many people outside of the nobility have had a chance to taste it, but Vermundr and I did a service for the royal family about a year ago. They frequently send us our own supply of it periodically, as an ongoing expression of gratitude."

"Thank you," Cassie said gratefully, accepting the cup and taking a timid sip, followed by an even bigger one when she found the taste pleasant. A calm silence fell between the two, which was only broken when Vermundr entered the room.

"Cassie? How are you fairing?" he asked carefully.

"I'll be all right," Cassie replied. "Vermundr, Abraham, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for running away like that, and for putting Abraham in danger."

Cassie had been mulling over what she'd been told when Abraham and Vermundr brought her back to the estate for a while now. It turned out that when they'd found out she had actually left the house, Abraham and Vermundr had been unable to tell which way she'd gone, on account of the pouring rain washing away her scent trail. Out of fear for her safety, they had quickly split up, with Abraham traveling down the road while Vermundr ran off into the forest, hoping that he'd be able to pick up her scent there. As such, if Vermundr hadn't caught the scent of Abraham's spilt blood on the wind like Abraham had hoped he would when he'd pricked his finger on the crossbow bolt, then she and Abraham really would have been killed.

"No, Cassie," Vermundr insisted, shaking his head. " _I'm_ the one who should be sorry. I should have been more careful when I tried to experiment with rat blood. This life as a Gold Eye; I'm still trying to figure it out, particularly when it comes to what kinds of animal blood tastes the least unappetizing. Even so, I should have known better than to sample rat blood in a place you've come to frequent, particularly when I knew you're still leery of me. After all, this is _your_ home, too, and…"

"Vermundr? Cassie interrupted. "Forgive me for interrupting you, but you're wrong. What I mean to say is… I'm _not_ still leery of you. Not anymore."

"You're not?" Vermundr repeated, taken aback.

"What changed your mind?" Abraham asked, also clearly surprised by Cassie's statement.

"I think it was when I saw Josiah about to kill you, Abraham," Cassie explained. "I think, in that one moment, everything just came into focus for me. I remembered my father, and his endless cruelty to me. I remembered all those men I'd encountered while living in Bristol. And then, I remembered how Josiah treated me the last time, and how he'd acted tonight. In that moment, I think I finally saw things clearly for the first time, and I was struck by the whole irony of _everything_. The whole world will stand and call Vermundr a monster just because of what he is. But out of all the men I've known throughout my life, he was one of the only two men who _wasn't_ one. And once I realized that, I couldn't find it in me to be afraid of him anymore. Even back on that road, when you were seconds away from killing Josiah, Vermundr. Even then, I couldn't feel any trace of the fear I'd had before. Because I realized that, unlike all those other men I've known, you would _not_ harm me. At least, not intentionally."

"No," Vermundr agreed with a content, genuine smile. "Like I said before. No one threatens my family. And I include myself in that statement."

**End Flashback.**

"So _that's_ what happened to Josiah's hand," Bella realized once the story had ended. "I saw it myself; it's still mangled."

"On the whole, I'd say that Vermundr crushed every bone in his hand that night," Abraham theorized. "Although, that's most likely why he's so bent on wiping out every single immortal in existence. He undoubtedly wants revenge on Vermundr for that night. After all, in my experience, men like Josiah are the ones who don't care how many bystanders get hurt, as long as they get their vengeance."

"I think you're right," Edward agreed. "I've seen minds like that myself." Instantly, a dark look appeared in his eyes, and everyone present realized he was remembering his vigilante days.

"This is all _my_ fault," Cassie stated, still unmoving from her place on the grassy yard.

"Cassie," Abraham began, his tone suggesting he was about to disagree with her.

"No, Abraham, it _is_!" Cassie insisted, cutting him off. " _I_ was the one who made Vermundr spare Josiah's life that night. If I had just stayed silent and looked the other way, then he wouldn't be out there right now, plotting to kill every immortal creature in the world." After a brief pause, Vermundr slowly stepped up to Cassie and crouched down in front of her.

"Cassie?" he spoke gently, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Cassie, look at me." Sniffing slightly in an attempt to hold back her tears, Cassie slowly heeded his request. "Cassie, you were right to have stopped me that night. No, you _were_! If Josiah chose to abuse the second chance you awarded him, then it is his own fault and not yours. I _needed_ to be stopped. If you hadn't, then I would have shown him as much mercy as he'd shown you and Abraham. You, however, didn't let personal vendetta cloud your judgment. You were able to put your own grievances with him aside enough to want to bestow mercy upon a man who had none of his own. And that is what makes you one of the strongest, greatest women I've ever known. I am in awe of you, Cassie."

"Vermundr," Cassie whispered through her tears, visibly moved by the sincerity in his words. "But… what about Josiah? You heard Bella. You heard what he's planning to do with his second chance."

"Well then," Vermundr replied with a gentle smile, casually wiping one of her tears away with his thumb. "We'll just have to stop him, won't we?"


	14. Discovered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who have read the Official Illustrated Guide, you will most likely recognize some parts of Vermundr's story in this chapter. If you have not read the Illustrated Guide yet, you really should. It's quite interesting.

"The most important thing to do is to decide how to approach this," Abraham mused out loud. "It's clear we need to figure out how to stop this ritual, but as to how, I'm at a complete loss. For one thing, Josiah might move the Carnival of Darkness to a completely new location, now that he knows the current location has been discovered."

"I don't think he will," Bella disagreed. "I heard him saying that he wants to get the job done as quickly as possible. He seemed adamant about performing the ritual on this next full moon, and moving to a new location would most likely mean they'd have to wait a month longer. Besides, he probably doesn't even realize we know what he's planning to do."

"Even if he does," Cassie added. "He'll figure, and correctly so, that we wouldn't know how to free all those creatures from their cages in time."

"Perhaps," Carlisle began, clearly deep in thought. "I will admit I'm not particularly pleased with the notion, but considering that it undoubtedly will concern them as well, perhaps the Volturi should be informed."

"Out of the question!" Vermundr bellowed. "Bring the Italians in on this, and we'd be in even _worse_ shape than we are now!"

"Vermundr," Abraham spoke cautiously, sharing a pointed glance with him. When Vermundr turned away, a low growl rumbling in his throat, Abraham turned to the others. "Regardless of whether or not it might concern _them_ , Carlisle, it really wouldn't benefit us in the long run. Let's not forget that, in this time, they haven't met you yet. From what you've told us, your past self - or present self, depending on your point of view- is still off in France right now, and it will be a while before you make your way to Italy. Imagine what would happen if _they_ came here and figured out you're all from the future. Can you guarantee they won't use the knowledge of future events to their own advantage? Not only that, but you've seen how they want to add certain members of your family to their number. For all you know, they might plot to target Alice for 'recruitment' when she's still human, or maybe even go out and abduct Bella while she's still living with her mother. And you wouldn't be able to do anything to stop them, because they would be kidnapped during a point in time when you weren't even aware they existed.

"Besides, even _if_ we can somehow keep them from figuring out what century your came from, what do you think will happen if they see Nessie? I can't see any of you wanting to go through _that_ ordeal again."

Carlisle frowned in concern as he considered Abraham's logic, but before he could respond, Edward beat him to it.

"That's not the only reason you don't want them here, is it?" he stated. "In case you've forgotten, Abraham. I can tell when someone's trying to block me. And right now, you _and_ Vermundr are putting a conscious effort to keep yourselves from thinking about something." Abraham instantly flinched at Edward's words, but before he could say anything in his defense, Vermundr cut in.

"Some things are best **left** unknown," he muttered. When everyone glanced over at him, they saw he now had a distant look on his face. It was if he was suddenly far away, staring at something that only he could see.

"It was sometime after I escaped from the Carnival of Darkness," he began. "Once I was free, I continued my ongoing search for the Red Eye who attacked my human village. One day, I came across a coven that consisted solely of female vampires. There were six of them in all. Their leader, Hilda, Mary, Heidi, Anne, Victoria, and a newborn named Noela." Upon hearing Victoria's name, Edward instinctively bared his teeth and Bella let out a low hiss, both of them knowing that he was referring to their old enemy. However, they kept silent, knowing that if Vermundr was interrupted, he would not be able to continue.

"I did not plan to stay for long," Vermundr went on. "My intent was only to question Hilda and her coven if they'd ever come across the Red Eye I was searching for, and then move on as soon as it was cordial to do so. But before I left, _they_ arrived. The Volturi." Vermundr nearly spat the name out, his upper lip curling in repulsion. "I watched in silence as the leader, the one they called Aro, accused Hilda of drawing too much human attention by introducing too many newborns into her coven. Even then, I found the charge against Hilda to be quite suspicious. After all, I could tell that only Noela was still in her first year, and Hilda showed no indication that she was planning to create another vampire anytime soon. Thus, I believed Hilda when she told the Italians that her coven never introduced more than one newborn at a time, to ensure they could control them.

"Regardless of how the bare facts suggested otherwise, Aro stated that she was indeed guilty, and his guards killed her on the spot. The rest of the coven scattered shortly after that, with the exception of Heidi, who actually joined them without batting an eye. The Volturi guard gave chase to the ones who ran, so I've got a pretty good guess of what happened to them. One of the guards, the one I later learned was called Felix, started to approach me, but Aro called him off, announcing that I was just a nomad who had been passing through, and had no connection at all to Hilda's coven. He started speaking directly to me, giving me this speech about how good it was that I could bear witness to what happens to those who broke the law, but I'll admit I wasn't paying much attention to what he was saying. I was too busy trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened. I was still not convinced that Hilda had been guilty like Aro claimed.

"And then, right before he turned to walk away, I found myself making eye contact with him. Thus, I saw it. I saw what I sometimes wish I never saw. Aro's biggest secret. The act that he'd worked so hard to keep others from discovering."

"What did he do?" Bella found herself whispering, completely absorbed with what he was telling them.

"Didyme," Vermundr replied. "Aro once had a sister. Her name was Didyme. He changed her himself. I don't know exactly why, but looking back, I have my suspicions, especially due to his habit of placing a good number of talented vampires into his guard. And Didyme _did_ end up having a talent of her own, all right. She gave off an aura of pure happiness, something that many would be drawn to. She certainly earned herself a lot of suitors, but there was only one whose feelings she reciprocated: Marcus. They became mates, and were wholly devoted to one another. But there came a time when Marcus and Didyme no longer wished to remain with the Volturi. They began to discuss leaving to live their own lives. Aro, of course, found out, and he told the pair that they were free to do as they wished. But then…" Vermundr trailed off, his expression growing even darker than before.

"It was a couple of weeks afterward. Aro asked Didyme to accompany him on a short trip somewhere, just him and her. When they were alone, miles and miles away from any prying eyes and ears, he turned on her. Aro, he… he _murdered_ his own sister! Like I said before, I can only guess at his motives. I only see someone's past actions, not the reasoning behind them. But I had seen him gather together vampires with talents he utilized frequently. And, well, on the one hand, he had Didyme and her aura of happiness. On the other, Marcus, who could read the strength of the bonds between two or more individuals. Based on the facts, it's not hard to guess the reasons why he did what he did. You've even said yourself that Aro relies on Marcus' gift regularly. So much so, he most likely was not willing to let that talent slip away from his control."

"That can't be true," Carlisle insisted, shaking his head in disbelief. "I heard about Didyme. She died when she and Aro were caught in an ambush. Aro said that…." Carlisle's words trailed off when he caught sight of the look of pity Vermundr was now giving him.

"And you believed him," he stated. It wasn't a question.

"I don't get it," Jacob stated. "If you knew Aro killed his sister, why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Honestly, Black, you think I didn't want to?" Vermundr replied with an impatient wave of his hand. "Who would believe me if I did? The only vampires who wouldn't automatically dismiss me as a liar and a conspirator would be the Romanians, and seeing as how their animosity towards the Volturi is common knowledge, they're far from the most influential allies. But even if I could convince others of the truth, I still couldn't tell anyone." "

Why?" Renesmee asked.

"Because somehow, a few decades after the Volturi destroyed Hilda's coven," Abraham began. "Aro found out what Vermundr's gift was. He remembered their brief encounter and realized Vermundr knew the truth about Didyme's death. This knowledge left him extremely worried, knowing that Vermundr could very easily spread the word about his betrayal if he wanted to. Obviously, Aro wasn't willing to take the risk of Vermundr staying silent by choice, so he decided the only option was to ensure Vermundr's silence, permanently. So he placed a death sentence on Vermundr's head. And mine as well."

"On what charge?" Edward demanded.

"Inciting to mutiny." Vermundr gave a dry laugh. "And of course, there was the fact that Abraham and I were well on our way to becoming partners at that time, so that dug the hole even deeper. I suspect they felt it was easy to convince others that we were encroaching in on their territory with our monster hunter escapades. "

"Then how did you escape?" Alice questioned. "We were fortunate enough to have been warned about the Volturi's approach by an old ally of mine; a younger vampire whose name was Tobias," Vermundr explained. "Good chap, that one. Only decent vampire I've met throughout my considerably long life, present company excluded. He didn't have any additional gifts beyond those typical of our kind, but then again, he didn't need them. He managed to become an undisputed master at the art of disguise through nothing but practice and sheer determination. Tobias could appear as anybody, from a crippled old beggar to a respected archdeacon. I even saw him disguised as a wealthy debutante on one occasion. I dare say I never would have recognized him then if he hadn't approached me and purposely given himself away.

"On that fateful morning, for a reason that's completely beyond my comprehension, he decided to stroll into Volterra and infiltrate the Volturi's castle in one of his disguises. Still not sure why he would, mind you. Perhaps he just wanted to see if he could. It was just the sort of mad thing he would have done. Tobias always _was_ a bit of an idiot. Anyway, he managed to overhear Aro discussing me and Abraham. He heard enough to realize they were planning to come for us both. Tobias came to warn us straightaway."

"Together, Vermundr and I devised a plan that would help us escape the Volturi," Abraham continued. "However, for it to work, we had to journey straight away to the northern lands, the region were Vermundr had once lived as a human. There was an old legend that Vermundr distantly remembered from those days, of deadly giants known as Muspel. Vermundr's people believed the Muspel would play a role in the end of the world, by enveloping it in fire.

"We set off to seek the Muspel very shortly after Tobias warned us. But almost immediately after we'd arrived at Vermunder's former homeland, Vermundr heard the sounds of the Volturi approaching, and he realized that they'd nearly caught up with us _much_ too soon. Tobias, who had voiced his desire to accompany us, volunteered to try and lead them off on a wild goose chase, in order to give us time to find the Muspel."

**Flashback**

Tobias had barely disappeared from view as Abraham and Vermundr continued on in their ongoing trek through the Norwegian mountain range. For what seemed like a very long time, the only signs of life the pair were able to locate were the tracks of a musk ox herd and what appeared to be the carcass of a long-dead bird.

"This isn't good," Vermundr announced after some time had passed, glancing around and seeing nothing but rocks and trees. "If we cannot find the Muspel…. Tobias can't keep the Volturi occupied forever. Perhaps… the legends were wrong."

"We can't give up, yet" Abraham encouraged. "If we can't find the Muspel, we'll just have to think of some way to stop their pursuit."

"I'm open to suggestions," Vermundr announced, turning to look back at his human friend. "Any id…"

Vermundr's words were cut off when a sudden jet of fire shot up from beyond a ridge just ahead. After sharing a cautiously hopeful glance, the pair moved forward carefully, doing their best not to make any unnecessary noise. Upon reaching the edge of the ridge, they peered down to see a pair of gigantic humanoid creatures. Their builds were akin to very muscular men with no noticeable hair atop their heads. It was their skin, however, that was the most striking; blacker than the darkest night, but the muscle lines appeared to be formed by thin, flowing rivulets of fire.

"So, these are the Muspel," Vermundr breathed. "The legends didn't do them justice."

"Well, I guess there's only one thing we can do now," Abraham commented.

"Yes, I suppose so," Vermundr agreed, suddenly looking apprehensive. "You know, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a touch frightened about this."

"That makes two of us," Abraham agreed, swallowing nervously. "Well… Good luck, old friend."

"And you."

Before he could change his mind or lose his courage, Vermundr turned and hurried off, making his way back to find Tobias in order to lead the Volturi back to where the Muspel were by following Tobias' scent trail. Before he could locate the younger vampire, however, Vermundr heard his scream rip through the air. The sound of the scream forced him to freeze momentarily, but he quickly pushed his shock aside. In a few more seconds, Vermundr stealthily climbed to the top of a tree, giving him a clear view of what was happening along the edge of a mountain lake.

Tobias, who was clearly surrounded by the Volturi, had been forced to his knees by two members of the guard. As Vermundr watched in shocked horror, three figures broke away from the robed vampires who had boxed Tobias in. One of the three lowered his hood, revealing himself as Aro.

"Tell me, nomad," Aro declared. "Did you enjoy leading us astray like this? What did you hope to gain from it?" Instead of replying, Tobias turned his head away in scorn.

Without warning, his body suddenly jerked around, and another terrible scream of pain erupted from his throat. As casually as possible, Aro looked over at a particularly small vampire who was standing among the Volturi guard.

"Peace, Jane," he instructed. At his command, Tobias instantly stopped writhing about in pain and his body slumped forward. After giving him a moment to rest, Aro moved closer to him. "I shall ask again. What did you hope to gain by helping the ones plotting against us?"

"You _would_ be the one to ask me that," Tobias managed to gasp out. "What would _you_ know about true loyalty? From what I've heard, you have to coerce your followers to remain loyal to you."

A sad smile appeared on Aro's face as he turned to face the others.

"It's regretfully clear that this one has made his choice," he announced. Without another word, Aro gave the guards restraining Tobias a slight nod. In seconds, they had fallen upon him, tearing him apart. Before he could stop himself, Vermundr let out a cry of vehemence at the sight of Tobias' fate. Instantly, the entire Volturi guard turned and caught sight of him in the tree. Acting quickly, Vermundr leapt down from the tree and took off running back to rejoin Abraham where the Muspel had been found. As he ran, he heard the sounds of the Volturi's pursuit close behind him.

When he neared the spot where he'd left Abraham, Vermundr started to realize something was wrong. In front of him, he could hear the distinctive sound of a crackling fire. The reason for the sounds became clear when he'd reached a mountain ledge and found an out-of-control fire raging all over the mountainside below.

"Vermundr?"

Upon hearing Abraham's voice, Vermundr's head snapped around and he found Abraham hunched down a short distance away, between two outcropping rocks, looking as if he was seconds away from passing out. Seconds after he'd been spotted, Abraham started coughing roughly.

"Abraham!" Vermundr cried, crouching down next to him in a flash. "What happened?" "It was the Muspel," Abraham explained, in between coughs. "After you'd left, the direction of the wind shifted, so I was now upwind. They must have smelled me. They… set the entire mountain on fire."

Abraham couldn't say anything more; his coughing became too strong as the smoke filled his lungs. Vermundr grimaced in deep concern and carefully lifted Abraham up in his arms, intending to carry him to a place far from the smoke. The moment he'd stood to full height again, however, he found his path blocked by Aro and a handful of the Volturi guard.

"Well, now," Aro said, casting a disparaging glare down at Vermundr. "It appears you've ran out of room to run. Such a shame things ended up like this. I'd thought you would have remembered what happened that last time, when you witnessed firsthand what happens to those who break the law. And after that, you still try to plot against us?

"Fortunately, I am willing to grant you a second chance. I shall even allow the life of your human ally to be spared, if you agree to surrender yourself now. However, if you still refuse to give up your misguided rebellion, you _shall_ answer for your crimes. It is your choice. What shall it be?"

Vermundr fought back a growl as he looked from Aro to the fire that continued to rage at the base of the ledge where they were standing. After a few moments of silence, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Sadly, he started to take a few steps towards Aro, whose face betrayed his satisfaction on Vermundr's surrender. But then, when he was only an inch away from Aro, Vermundr's expression shifted to intense anger and defiance, and he spat in Aro's face in contempt. Before any of the Volturi could retaliate against Vermundr's blatant disrespect, he turned and, with Abraham still held firmly in his arms, threw himself off the mountain ledge, right into the Muspel-created fire that continued to burn below.

**End Flashback**

"You jumped into the fire?!" Carlisle cried in shock. "Then how did you survive?"

"Do you remember when we told you how Vermundr and I had a few artifacts we collected from our ventures as Monster Hunters?" Abraham asked. "One of those artifacts is a long robe that was fashioned from the hides of salamanders, a small magical creature that is known for living in open flames. This robe can actually provide the wearer complete protection from fire. It so happens that before we'd left for the northern lands, Vermundr had the foresight to bring the salamander robe with us, just in case. And it was a good thing, too. When Vermundr jumped into the fire on that night, he used his vampire speed to wrap both of us in the robe before we even reached the flames. With the robe covering us, we were left completely unscathed from the fire, and thanks to the robe's lining, which had come from the wool of a vegetable lamb, the heat was also rendered bearable."

"The Volturi, of course, had no idea our salamander robe even existed," Vermundr continued. "So they had no reason to doubt that we'd both perished in that fire. And since they'd seriously believed they'd seen us both die, they no longer put any effort into tracking us down to execute us. Of course, though we successfully put an end to their pursuit of us, Abraham and I had to be very careful about who we interacted with from that day on. Aro was set on seeing us both die because he feared we would spread the truth about what really happened to Didyme. Imagine what he'd have in store for a vampire and a human who got away with outsmarting him and his disciples. I'll bet he'd view it as an unforgivable insult, especially when the plan was thought up by a human. Come to think of it, I can't see _any of them_ liking that at all."

"It all makes sense, now," Alice stated, putting the pieces together. "Why you studied our pasts through Carlisle the moment we met, the real reason why Abraham started using his initials in place of his full name, Abraham Van Helsing, and why there was fear in your eyes when I identified Abraham as such out in Epping Forest. It was all because you didn't want any hint that the two of you survived that fire to reach the Volturi."

"Given our professions, it's probably a good chance that Vermundr and I will most likely die before I'm old," Abraham stated calmly, paying no attention to the expressions that had appeared on Carlisle, Jacob and Edward's faces upon hearing his full name. "I've never seen any reason to actually fear death. There are worse fates, after all. Nevertheless, I'd much rather not have my death happen at the hands of the Volturi, especially since I'm quite sure they'll make sure it's a long, drawn out death."

"And quite frankly," Vermundr added. "I'm not about to let them get anywhere near Abraham. Or Cassie. As far as I'm concerned, the Volturi can do what they want with me. I've had a considerably long life; even I've lost track of how old I really am. But Abraham and Cassie are my family now, and they've both given me something worthwhile to live for. I'm not about to put them in unnecessary danger if I can do something to prevent it."

"Oh." Edward breathed out after a very brief pause. He was now looking at Vermundr as if seeing him plain for the first time. "I understand what this is about. This is related to your human village. You feel that you lost your human family because you weren't strong enough to protect them."

"Stop," Vermundr hissed, his head jerking suddenly as if trying to ward off a fly. However, Edward showed no indication of hearing him and continued on.

"Now that you _are_ physically strong enough, you're going to make sure you won't fail to protect your loved ones again." "

Edward? Stop it," Vermundr requested again. This time, he fixed the mind reader with a shockingly tired glance. In that one moment, he looked weary beyond any relatable measure and as ancient as he actually was. "I… I know that there was nothing I could do to protect my kinsmen against the Red Eyes who came to the village. I was just a mortal human then. But the fact remains that everyone in my human village was lost because I wasn't a match for the attacking vampires. My human kinsmen. My _sister_. But I'm not human anymore. What's the point of being immortal now if I _still_ cannot protect my family?"

Instantly, Bella let out a soft gasp. She had been so concerned about warning everyone about Josiah's plot and wondering how they were going to stop the ritual, all thoughts about telling Vermundr about who else was being held by the Carnival of Darkness had been pushed to the back of her mind. But when she heard Vermundr mentioning his human family, she instantly remembered everything.

"Vermundr," Bella began, speaking carefully as she took a few cautious steps toward the older vampire. "There's something you should know. When I was being held by the Carnival of Darkness, before they took me to away be branded, I was placed into a cage with two other vampires. One of them was a female, and… around her neck, she was wearing a Tiwaz rune. It's exactly the same as yours. Same size, same shape, same everything."

Vermundr did not reply. Instead, he simply stared at Bella with wide, unbelieving eyes, his mouth slightly agape. For the longest time, he stood unmoving. Finally, right when Bella was starting to think about asking him if he understood, Vermundr finally moved by slowly shaking his head.

"Impossible," he whispered. "It can't be."

"I asked her name," Bella persisted. "It _is_ Brynhildr. She's alive!"

"No, it's not possible!" Vermundr exclaimed, his body starting to shake with suppressed emotion. "I... I know what I saw that night the vampires attacked my human village! It's one of the few human memories I held on to! I saw that Red Eye attack Brynhildr and start drinking her blood! I saw her body falling to the ground when I tried to bring the Red Eye down with my sword and Brynhildr's discarded battle ax! There was _no way_ she could have survived!"

"Not unless you distracted that vampire long enough for the venom to spread," Jacob surmised. Vermundr instantly snapped his head in Jacob's direction. It was clear from the expression on his face that he'd never considered that possibility before.

For about a full minute, Vermundr was rooted to the spot, a perfect statue. Then, he suddenly moved, making a dash for the door at top speed, only to be stopped and blocked by Edward.

"No, Vermundr, not like that," he insisted, not letting Vermundr get past him.

"Don't tell me what to do, Edward!" Vermundr barked, seething with rage. " _My sister is out there right now_!"

"And you should follow your own advice!" Edward fired back. "Did you forget what you told me in the forest just this morning? ' _Stay focused_ ', remember? The only way you can help Brynhildr is to keep a clear head." "Edward's right, Vermundr," Carlisle said, crossing the room to his side and placing a firm but consoling hand on his shoulder. "You won't help Brynhildr by racing in blindly. There's a very good chance that doing so will only get you recaptured by the carnival. If that happens, you won't be able to help her at all. I know it's hard, Vermundr. Believe me, I do. But from what we've learned, Brynhildr won't be in any real danger until the next full moon, when Josiah's sacrificial ritual will take place. Remember, we were already planning to figure out how to put a stop to that."

"But…." Vermundr didn't finish his thought. Instead, he merely fixed Carlisle with a desperate, almost pleading glance.

"We know, Vermundr." Abraham stepped in. "Please don't think that we don't care, but just try to remember; you've survived thousands of years without her, thinking she was dead. Surely you can last just a week longer, knowing you'll get her back soon."

"How?" Vermundr inquired. "How are we going to get Bryn back? For that matter, how are we supposed to stop the ritual?"

After a brief pause, Renesmee suddenly stepped forward, holding up a hand expectedly. In compliance, Vermundr sank down into a crouch so his face was level with hers. With a small smile, Renesmee placed her hand against his cheek. For a while, the two were motionless as Vermundr took in what Renesmee was telling him. Then, they both pulled back simultaneously.

"Brilliant," Vermundr whispered, staring at the child in amazement. "That's… absolutely _brilliant_!"

"What did she say?" Jacob asked eagerly. The smile never left Vermundr's face as he started filling the others in on Renesmee's idea.

"Do you think that will work?" Alice wondered once Vermundr had finished.

"It better," Abraham replied. "It's the only plan we've got."


	15. Infiltration

Night had fallen over Epping Forest nearly an hour ago. Reginald, Josiah's right-hand man, was making his way through the underbrush, holding a blazing torch overhead for light. Accompanying him was Daniel, a nervous-looking new recruit to the carnival.

"You don't really think that… that wolf creature is still out here, do you?" Daniel stammered, eyes darting around uneasily. "I mean, Benjamin and Ezekiel saw him early this morning, a few hours before dawn. It _must_ have moved on by now."

"You're forgetting that the creature was incapacitated by one of our darts," Reginald snapped. "And that's the only reason those two idiots are still alive. You saw what Josiah did to that bunch who let all those creatures escape during the branding ceremony." Daniel instantly trembled as the horrible memory came back to him, of how Josiah had made all of the carnival workers be present when the men in question were forced to walk into the cage that held the carnival's manticore. He wouldn't soon forget the sounds of their pleas for mercy, or their screams of fear as they were pushed into the monster's enclosure.

At that moment, the sudden sound of something big moving around made the two men stop in their tracks. They barely had time to think before a large russet wolf staggered into view, dragging its hind legs along the ground.

"That must be the beast!" Reginald exclaimed, staring at the inebriated wolf in shocked amazement.

"It's… it's bigger than I thought," Daniel whimpered, eyes wide with fear. Reginald spared a withering glare at Daniel when he started to back away in terror.

"Keep it together, _idiot_!" he barked, unfastening a spiked catchpole from his belt and striding towards the wolf. As Reginald approached, the wolf growled and snapped its jaws at him. In response, Reginald swung the catchpole downward like a club, striking the wolf across the snout, forcing a sudden yelp to slip from its mouth. Without any further hesitation, Reginald forced the catchpole around the wolf's neck, barking out at Daniel to come and assist.

* * *

As Reginald and Daniel occupied themselves with restraining the wolf before leading it away, they remained ignorant of the fact that they were being watched from overhead. Once the carnival workers were completely out of sight, Edward, Carlisle and Vermundr dropped down from their previous hiding spot in the forest canopy. As quietly as possible, they turned and ran back to the estate at vampire speed, where Abraham, Alice, Bella, Cassie, Renesmee and Jacob were all waiting out front to hear how the plan was progressing.

"Well, the infiltration phrase went over as well as we'd hoped," Edward announced. "The carnival workers didn't even doubt that the 'wolf' they just picked up was the same one they saw last night."

"I have to admit I'm impressed with Nightmare," Jacob commented. "I know Vermundr said she could make herself look like any animal in existence, but I didn't think she could make herself look completely identical to me as a wolf."

"Neither did we," Abraham commented. "I'm surprised Nightmare actually revealed that extent of her power to Renesmee. She's been on good terms with us for years, and she never let us know she was _that_ good."

"It's not _that_ surprising when you think about it," Cassie pointed out. "After all, they've both half-breeds, aren't they? Nightmare probably felt a stronger kinship towards little Ness than she does for everyone else."

"Do you think she'll be all right, being stuck in the carnival like this?" Bella asked.

"I'm sure she wouldn't have agreed to the plan if she wasn't willing to go along with it, Bella," Vermundr reassured. "Besides, Nightmare knows what's at stake. The fate of her kind is in danger, too. Knowing that, she'll be ready to do her part. Only way we can really thank her is by doing ours."

"Then we best get started," Abraham agreed.

* * *

"The Tikbalaling," Jacob read out loud, nearly tripping over the unfamiliar word. "It says they're creatures that mainly live in secluded swamps in the Philippines. While centaurs have the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse, the Tikbalaling has the lower body of humans and the head and forearms of a horse. They are notorious for leading lone travelers astray, but if their potential victims turn their clothing inside out, they may escape with their lives, for the Tikbalaling will see that as a threat display and will promptly retreat."

"Well, I don't remember seeing any creature like that in the carnival," Bella stated. "But some of the cages were angled in such a way that I couldn't see inside them, so I suppose there's always the possibility that they do have a Tikbalaling there."

Shortly after Edward, Carlisle and Vermundr had arrived back at the estate with the news that the disguised Nightmare had been picked up by the carnival workers, everyone had convened to the withdrawing chamber, where they immediately began pouring over the various mystical beast related writings, which Abraham and Vermundr had compiled throughout their exploits, trying to learn as much as they could about the creatures they would be freeing from the carnival and Josiah's plan in order to gain a firm understanding of what they would be dealing with in a few days' time.

"I hope I'm not disturbing anyone too much," Cassie began as she stepped into the room. carrying a serving tray that had been loaded with pasties, almond tarts, a jug of cider and two flagons of ale. "But I thought that, since there won't be a regular supper tonight on account of the current situation, I should at least make sure there's some form of sustenance on hand. I can't imagine it would be conductive to your research if anyone went hungry. I hope this will do. I wasn't sure what your feelings about ale were, Mr. Black, so I made some cider as well to grant you an alternative option."

"Thank you, Cassie," Abraham smiled, turning his eyes to Cassie's serving tray. "You know your cooking is always welcome." After a brief second, one of the flagons of ale and a pasty lifted off the tray and glided across the room, straight into Abraham's waiting hands.

"Always happy to help in any way I can," Cassie replied, carrying the tray over to Jacob so he could help himself. "So, might I ask what the plan will be if those poor creatures the carnival captured don't leave as soon as they're free from their cages? After all, Vermundr didn't when he gained his freedom. Regardless of what they've done, do those men really deserve to be set upon by every manner of aggressive creature there?"

"Of course we'll do everything we can to protect those men," Carlisle assured her.

"Yes, I know you'll try," Cassie agreed. "It's just that there will be so many of them. I can't help but worry that you might be in over your heads. Obviously, with the majority of you being immortal yourselves, you're well equipped for what's ahead. But… there's always the possibility that something unexpected will happen."

"Everything will be all right, Cassie," Abraham said. "Do not forget we also have my powers among our list of assets. If anything starts to get out of hand, I'm sure I can slow things down long enough for us to get things under control again." In response to Abraham's words, Cassie smiled kindly, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Wait," Alice spoke up, glancing around the room. "Where's Vermundr?" It was only then that everyone noticed that he was not present.

"You don't think he went off to try and get his sister out after all, do you?" Jacob asked urgently, sitting up straight.

"No, of course not," Abraham replied with conviction. "You saw the look on his face just as well as I did. He's in complete support of the plan, so he's not about to do anything that would jeopardize it."

"Then where did he go?" Bella wondered.

"Knowing Vermundr, he probably slipped away to his forge out back to do some routine maintenance on his sword." Abraham commented with a casual shrug. "For as long as I've known him, he's always been action-oriented. When you take into consideration that it's not just the very future of all immortal beings on the line, but the safety of his long-lost sister as well, it's probably a soothing balm on his peace of mind for him to feel like he's actually accomplishing something tangible."

As Abraham returned to scrutinizing over the book in front of him, a contemplative look passed over Carlisle's face. Almost cautiously, he glanced over to archway leading out into the hall. Upon hearing the direction of Carlisle's thoughts, Edward, who had been sitting on the nearby sofa next to Bella and a currently-sleeping Renesmee, reached over to place a hand on his father's shoulder, drawing his attention. Once Carlisle turned to look back at him, Edward gave a subtle nod, non-vocally displaying his agreement with what Carlisle was considering. Needing no further convincing, Carlisle quietly stepped out of the room, making his way outside. The moment he set foot on the grassy lawn, he heard the unmistakable sounds of a crackling fire, and he followed the sounds to the doorless shed that stood behind the estate. Once he reached the small building and stepped inside, he very nearly staggered back from the unexpected wave of intense heat. There was no doubt in Carlisle's mind that if a human entered the forge, they would pass out almost instantly.

"Carlisle! Is something wrong?" Vermundr, who had been crouched down next to what looked like a clay fire pit, had looked up upon catching Carlisle's scent. It was clear from the look on his face that the visit was completely unexpected.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you," Carlisle explained. "But when Abraham mentioned that you were out here, I was curious. This is where you forged your sword blade, wasn't it? Using vampire teeth as your source material?" After a brief pause in which Vermundr seemed to be studying Carlisle's face, he smiled in quiet understanding.

"This is connected to your tendency of always being eager for new information about our kind, isn't it?" he asked knowingly. "If that's the case, then you're in luck. I was just about to begin a practical demonstration."

"You're making another weapon?" Carlisle asked, stepping over to Vermundr's side.

"Yes, I am." Vermundr replied, pursing his lips in thought. "After we've dealt with the Carnival of Darkness, and my sister is free…"

"Go on," Carlisle urged, noticing that Vermundr seemed to be struggling in his explanation.

"Well… I suspect it would be difficult for you to relate. Obviously, I can't really be sure, but from what I've seen about the future you and your family have come from, the civilization you originated from, the one that currently exists in this era, remains intact. The cultural norms and vocabulary may be slightly different due to the passage of time, but the foundation remains. Three hundred years later, people will still utilize the same alphabet and maintain the same fundamental laws and social structure. But… for Bryn and me, the world we came from has all but been forgotten. Even our native language has fallen into obscurity. If I called you _vinr_ right now, what man alive could tell you what I was saying? We both know, Carlisle, that the older a vampire is, the harder it is for them to remember their lives as a human. Most would not dwell much about the matter, but when you originated from a culture that has long-since died out, what guarantee do you have that the world will remember it? Will a day come when my people will be completely forgotten? If they are forgotten, then my people, my kinsmen, will have lived and died in vain. But when I'm here in my forge, utilizing the skills I mastered during my human life, or when I'm wielding my sword against some manner of creature that threatens a human town, remembering my origins become that much easier. And I _need_ to remember my origins. If I don't, then who else will stand able to remember that my people once lived?

"I realize I have no way of knowing yet what sort of life Bryn has led since then, but... if she shares my feelings about our human kinsmen, she may wish for her own way to remember them. That's exactly what I'm planning to make for her now, by recreating her old axe, the one that was lost that night."

"Well then…" Carlisle, who had listened quietly to Vermundr's words, crouched down next to him. "Is there some way I can be of assistance?"

"You wish to help me fashion Bryn's new axe? I was under the impression you opposed the violence involved."

"Regardless, I believe I understand your reasons for doing so," Carlisle explained. "From what I've just heard, you forging conventional weapons in this way is how you remind yourself of your humanity. You're right; I might not be able to relate, but that does not mean I don't understand your feelings on the matter." Vermundr didn't reply right away, but the look on his face was evidence enough of his gratitude.

"Very well then," he began after a few moments, gesturing to the fire pit in front of them. "Now, this right here is the furnace. And you can see the cylinder container positioned in the center. That's where the vampire teeth are melted down. The cylinder lining must be coated with dragon scales beforehand.  Otherwise, the teeth would simply disintegrate instead of melt. It's also important to make sure the fire remains hot, and that is what these are for." This time, Vermundr directed Carlisle's attention to what looked like a giant fireplace bellows that had been attached to the furnace. "I trust you are familiar with the concept of the bellows. Care to give it a try?"

"Those flames do seem warmer than is usual," Carlisle noted as he began to pump away at the bellows.

"Well, most forges deal with copper and steel, don't they?" Vermundr pointed out with a chuckle. "We're dealing with a much stronger substance, so these flames need to be a much higher temperature. Which is why I usually coat the coals with my venom. That always seems to do the trick."

The two vampires continued to converse as they worked together to create the new weapon well into the night.

* * *

Miles away, Nightmare was still in her guise of the giant russet wolf, curled up within the cage the carnival workers had forced her into. If anyone walked past the cage, they would have believed her to be sound asleep, but she was actually wide awake, keeping watch through her partially closed eyes. She was waiting for the last carnival worker to leave the nearby cooking fire and make their way to the tents that had been set up around the perimeter. It wasn't until a little past midnight that every last carnival worker retired for the night. From the perspective of a mortal, the wait would have been agonizingly long, but like all faerie folk, pucas, even half-pucas, were eternal and time meant very little.

As the sound of the last carnival worker's snores filled the air, Nightmare's eyes snapped open and she got to her feet. With a blink-and-you'd-miss-it speed, she shifted her form from the russet wolf to a jet black rat. The moment her transformation was complete, she darted to the front of the cage and scaled the bars, crawling out to reach the top of her cage. With her beady rat eyes, she quickly spotted the elaborate symbol that had been etched into the top of the cage, just as Vermundr had described it. Hesitating for only a moment, Nightmare quickly went to work, gnawing into the seal, being very careful to make as little noise as possible. While she knew that the sleeping humans nearby would never hear the sound of a rat gnawing through wood, the captive immortals surely would, and it was imperative that none of them gained any inkling of the fact that the magical seals that kept them confined were being broken. At least, not yet. If any of the imprisoned beasts broke free from their cages too soon, then Renesmee's plan would fail before it could start.


	16. Death Moon

The entire clearing surrounding the estate was flooded with golden light shining through the trees. Within the dining hall, Carlisle and Abraham were staring out the window, taking in the signs of dusk setting in. The night of the full moon and Josiah's ritual had come.

"It's rather fitting, isn't it?" Abraham commented. "I was talking to Jacob yesterday. He was telling me about how some native tribes had different names for the full moon, depending on what month it falls on. The Harvest Moon in September, the Strawberry Moon in June. But _this_ full moon, the one that falls within March? While the common name is Storm Moon, it is sometimes called the Death Moon."

"Let's hope it doesn't earn that name tonight," Carlisle replied, tearing his eyes away from the window to watch as Vermundr finished wrapping up his gift for Brynhildr in old linens. As if sensing Carlisle's gaze, Vermunder glanced over, but before he could say anything in response, the sounds of Bella's voice caught everyone's attention.

"Absolutely not!" Bella's voice insisted. "You are not going!" Wondering what was going on, the three men stepped out into the foyer to find Bella and Renesmee in the middle of an argument. Edward, Jacob, Cassie and Alice were standing close by.

"I want to help, Mommy," Renesmee said.

"You've _already_ helped," Bella pointed out firmly. "You did your part by helping us go over those books, discussing the creatures the carnival are holding captive. But now, you need to stay here. Cassie will be here, too, so you won't be here by yourself."

"I _can't_ just wait here!" Renesmee insisted. "Not when you, Daddy, Jacob and everyone else are going out to stop Josiah. I can't just stay here, waiting and not knowing…." Beseechingly, Renesmee turned to glance at Edward and Jacob in turn, but to no avail.

"No, Nessie," Edward insisted. "You can't go out to where the carnival is located. You're too young." Immediately, a scowl appeared on Renesmee's face, but before she could say another word, Cassie stepped in.

"If I might, Bella, Edward," she began, "but… what if Renesmee and I go along, but only up to the forest stream? That way, we'll be nearby and be able to know what's happening, but still be away from the immediate danger."

"That does sound reasonable," Alice pointed out. A momentary pause fell within the foyer, in which Edward and Bella met each other's gaze, seemingly sharing a nonverbal conversation.

Before they could reach a final decision, however, the front door flew open with a sudden gust of wind. Standing outside on the front stoop was Baba Yaga wearing a tattered, heavily patched traveling cloak that greatly emphasized her hunched over figure. Without hesitation, she stepped inside, leaning on her wooden staff.

"It's time for all of ye to go, now," she announced.

"Yes, we know," Carlisle replied. "We were just getting ready to head out now."

"What are ye talking about?" Baba Yaga snapped. "How could ye know that the potion was complete?" It was only then that everyone realized what the old gypsy witch meant. The spell that would send them all back to their own time was ready.

"Well, what are ye all waiting for?" Baba Yaga demanded when she saw no one was showing any sign of leaving. "Ye said you wanted to return to your own time as soon as possible, did you not? Now you can, so let's get this over with!"

"We can't go yet," Bella said, shaking her head.

"Yes, you can," Baba Yaga snarled, growing visibly impatient. "Are your ears working? The potion is ready!"

"We understand that, Baba Yaga," Carlisle said. "What Bella means is we're not ready to go back yet. There's something we have to do first."

"I warn you now, vampire, I have no tolerance for humor," Baba Yaga hissed. "You came to my tree, begging to be sent back to your own time, and now you're telling me you've _changed your mind_?!"

"No, we haven't changed our minds. We still do want to go home. But we can't go home just yet. There's something we need to do first." The instant the final word was out of Carlisle's mouth, Baba Yaga banged her staff against the floor, causing nearly blinding flashes to emit from the end.

"FOOLS!" she shrieked. "TIME-WASTING FOOLS!" Without another word, she turned on her heal and stormed out, quickly vanishing from sight.

"You didn't have to do that," Abraham stated the moment Baba Yaga left. "Please don't feel obligated to stay and help us stop Josiah. As far as we're concerned, you've all done more than your part. Come to think of it, we wouldn't have even found out what Josiah was planning if it hadn't been for all of you. So, please don't risk your one chance of going home because of this. Don't forget that Vermundr and I deal with this sort of thing every day. I'm sure we'll be fully capable of finishing this on our own."

"That's not why we're staying," Edward spoke up. "We're staying because this concerns us as well. Carlisle's right; we can't go home just yet. Not until we see this through to the end. If Josiah succeeds tonight, we might not even have a home to return to."

"That and the fact that there are all those creatures being held captive by the carnival right now," Bella added. "It wouldn't feel right if we got to go home before making sure that they got their chance at that, too."

"Well then," Abraham replied after a brief pause. "If that's your decision, then we would be grateful for your help."

"What about me?" Renesmee asked, looking around expectantly. "Am I going to be allowed to be there with everyone, too?" Instantly, a tormented look filled Bella's face.

"Bella? I promise that I won't let her out of my sight," Cassie offered, stepping forward cautiously. "Neither of us will go any further than the forest stream."

"Not one step over," Bella declared, her voice shaking slightly. The moment the final decision was made, Vermundr was out of the room at vampire speed, reappearing a second later with a robe that looked like it was made of shiny black leather draped over his arm.

"Well, if the two of you are going, you best have this," he said, passing the robe over to Cassie. "It's our salamander robe. It should help mask your scents, giving you both a little added protection, in case one of the beasts we're freeing strays a bit too close to where you'll be."

Taking advantage of the brief distraction, Bella took her chance to quietly slip away, ducking into the nearby withdrawing chamber, which was completely deserted apart from Grimalkin, who, despite being sound asleep on a chair, immediately looked up the second Bella entered the room. After briefly stretching, the cat hopped off the chair and walked right over to Bella to rub against her leg in greeting.

"Vermundr was right," Bella commented, bending down to pick the cat up in her arms. "You really don't mind us being vampires, do you?" In response, Grimalkin simply looked right up into Bella's face and blinked her eyes slowly.

"Bella?" Upon hearing his voice softly speak her name, Bella turned her head towards Edward as he appeared behind her. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm sorry, Edward," Bella apologized without preamble.

"Sorry? For what?"

"When Nessie was so insistent on coming with us tonight, all I could think about was keeping her out of danger. But then I suddenly remembered one of my human memories. I remembered…how I acted when you were planning to go off and help the rest of our family fight Victoria's newborns."

"Bella, love, please don't tell me you're still feeling guilty for asking me to stay behind."

"That's not quite what was bothering me," Bella explained. "It's more that…I remembered how determined I was to be in that clearing during the fight. And tonight, when I saw the expression on Nessie's face, it just hit me that she might be just as determined as I was, and if we didn't meet her halfway by agreeing to Cassie's suggestion, she would probably find a way to follow us to the carnival's location on her own. The moment I realized that, I think I finally fully appreciated what it must have been like for you on that day, to see me willing to go to any length to be in that clearing when all you wanted was to keep me out of danger." Upon meeting Edward's eyes, Bella could see in his face that he was on the same page as her in regards to the concern for Renesmee's safety.

"A part of me wishes that she hadn't been with us when we were brought back to this time," Edward admitted. "But at the same time, if she had stayed home with Esme and the others while we went out to hunt… while I'm not disputing the fact that it's unquestionably hard for everyone waiting for us back in our own time, Nessie has never spent a single day without you, Jacob and me. For that reason, perhaps ending up here with us was the best thing for her."

"And if she hadn't wound up here with us, we might never have even came up with our plan to begin with," Bella agreed. Within seconds, her expression shifted from concern to amazement. "Edward? All this time, we thought that we were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. What if that wasn't the case? That fog that magically brought us here only appeared after Alice and Carlisle had joined us. What if us being brought back to this time wasn't accident?"

Edward barely had time to even begin contemplating Bella's insight when Carlisle and Abraham stepped into the room.

"We're sorry to interrupt," Abraham announced. "But it's time to leave." Sharing one final glance, Edward and Bella followed them out of the withdrawing chamber to join the others.

* * *

"Will you give it up?" the captive male vampire barked, pelting the rough stone he'd managed to obtain earlier at Brynhildr's back. "Your newborn friend scarpered. No one is coming back to get us out of here." Instead of replying, Bryhhildr merely gave him a withering glance over her shoulder before turning back around to resume looking out through the cage bars. "Hey! You hear me over there? You have been sitting there for a solid week, just staring off into space. Do you seriously think that newborn will keep her promise and return here? You're wasting your time; no one is coming to rescue us. Face the facts. We're not getting out of here, ever."

"Do you ever get tired of running off at the mouth, _eldhúsfífl?_ " Brynhildr hissed in annoyance. "How many years have we been stuck together? In all that time, when have you ever said anything constructive?"

"And when have you ever bothered to try and speak to me without the insults?" the male vampire snapped. "You've never even asked for my name!"

At that accusation, Brynhildr only just managed to hold back a growl. While her cage mate was right about her never asking his name, it wasn't as if she had neglected that question for malicious reasons. When the carnival workers had first placed the male vampire into the cage with her, Brynhildr had initially been pleased that she'd finally have someone to talk to. But then, the bloodroot had worn off and the male vampire began to talk. From the very start, he had given off a very strong air of arrogance and idiocy that had immediately set Brynhildr's teeth on edge. Ever since then, the pair of them had never been able to get along and incidentally, Brynhildr had indeed never bothered to find out his name.

"All right then." Brynhildr finally swallowed her pride. "Please tell me; what is your name?" The male vampire did not reply right away, but simply stared at Brynhildr in amazement.

"It's Arthur," the male vampire said after a brief pause. If he was planning to say anything more, however, he never got the chance. At that moment, the cage began to lurch forward.

"What's happening?!" Arthur cried in mild alarm. "Why are we moving?"

"It's not just us," Brynhildr commented, looking out through the bars to see the carnival workers were busy in moving the other cages, positioning them in such a way that they encircled the central bonfire pit where the branding always took place. Just as their cage had come to a stop, Brynhildr noticed the moon just starting to appear above the treetops. Immediately, her face grew pale, seeing that the moon was now full. The night of Josiah's ritual had arrived.

"I knew it," Arthur hissed. "Your newborn friend has abandoned us. She had no intention of coming back to save us, otherwise she would have come back by now."

"And where do you think she would have gone to?" Brynhildr snarled. "If Josiah succeeds tonight, there will be no safe place for any vampire to hide." Immediately, a silence fell between the two as the full impact of Brynhildr's words sank in, making them both completely unaware of anything going around them, including the sounds of the carnival's solitary werewolf beginning his transformation the instant he was bathed in the moonlight. Unless something happened quickly, they were both about to die.

At that moment, a low whooshing sound was heard. In unison, Arthur and Brynhildr turned just in time to see what looked like a crossbow bolt wiz through the bars at the back of their cage, embedding itself at their feet. Noticing a scrap of parchment had been tied to the crossbow bolt, Arthur quickly pulled it off.

"What's this?" he questioned, glancing at the paper. "This isn't writing, it's just a bunch of symbols." In curiosity, Brynhildr took the paper from him and gave it her own glance over, her eyes widening in the process.

"It's written in the alphabet of _my people!_ " she exclaimed. "It's from my brother! It must be!"

"Well, what does it say?" Arthur asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"It says…" Brynhildr said, her voice trembling with disbelief. "The protective seal on our cage is broken."

"We can escape?" Arthur cried in shock. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"No, not yet," Brynhildr replied, grabbing his arm to keep him from ripping out the bars.

"What do you mean, ' _not yet?!_ ' We're no longer prisoners! Why shouldn't we make good our escape?"

"My brother's note says there's a plan. We have to wait until we get some kind of signal. If we break too early, the plan might fail."

"Who cares about some stupid plan? I want to be out of here, now!" "And what's going to stop them from recapturing you once you do break out of here?" Brynhildr hissed impatiently. "My brother says that if we follow the plan, we'll not only be able to escape, but we can put an end to the carnival for good." For a second, Arthur gave her a mutinous look, but soon looked away in compliance.

Clenching the precious message from her brother tightly in her hand, Brynhildr turned to watch Josiah and Robed Man as they conversed in front of the carnival's bonfire, speaking in Latin. In severe frustration, Brynhildr gripped the bars of the cage, which bent slightly under her grip. It always irritated her when the humans used that old tongue as she never understood what they were saying, but tonight, with the knowledge that time was almost up and the fact that her brother was somewhere near, her annoyance was tenfold.

After the pair had been speaking for a while, Josiah turned and slunk back into the shadows where he propped himself up against a cage holding a baby griffin. The wicked smile on Josiah's face was enough to make Brynhildr wish she could reach him and take away his reason to smile. Before she had much time to dwell on her hatred for the human in question, Robed Man began to chant out in Latin, holding his hands over the blazing fire. As he continued to chant, the flames transformed into a disturbing shade of green, which cast an eerie light over the entire clearing. At almost the same time, the cage that contained Brynhildr and Arthur began to shake violently. Upon looking out at the other cages, the two vampires could see the other cages were doing the same. Immediately, Brynhildr felt herself being overtaken with dismay. Josiah's ritual had begun. They had run out of time.

No sooner had those thoughts entered her mind, there was a low whistling sound, like something whizzing through the air. It was only her vampire-sharp eyesight that enabled Brynhildr to spot the crossbow bolt shooting past her. Almost instinctively, she watched its progress until it hit home, embedding itself in the framework of the cage that held the large russet wolf the carnival workers had brought in a few days ago. The wolf glanced up at the crossbow bolt for a moment before getting up on all four legs. Before Brynhildr's eyes, the wolf started to shift its shape, but it was almost half a minute before she could identify what the wolf was becoming. As the creature started to come to the end of its transformation into a gigantic dragon, the cage itself started to puff out from the quickly-expanding mass of its occupant. Finally, the entire cage shattered, allowing the wolf-turned-dragon to break free, releasing an ear-splitting roar of triumph. For a split second, Brynhildr met Arthur's disbelieving gaze, but then understanding washed over her. This was the sign her brother's letter was telling her about.

Pushing all her strength into fighting the effects of the still-burning bloodroot, Brynhildr lunged at the roof of the cage, breaking through it with one single punch. Making as much noise as possible in order to attract the attention of the other captive monsters, she snapped off the splintering planks of wood to make the hole even wider until she could stand up tall atop the cage.

" _Sigr!_ " Brynhildr bellowed out to her fellow monsters. "We are FREE!" Even the beasts who could not understand her words seemed to realize her meaning. In unison, every single captive within the carnival began to attack their cages, successfully breaking free.

In a matter of seconds, the clearing had become a scene of complete bedlam. All over, carnival workers were in a state of panic, running frantically to avoid the rampaging beasts as they made good their escape, with some of the monsters, wishing to enact their vengeance on their long-time tormentors, chasing some of the carnival workers into the surrounding woods. Only Josiah showed no trace of fear as his face twisted with hatred and rage, not even reacting to the sight of Robed Man being trampled to death by a troupe of retreating Kelpie. It was only when he sensed someone standing behind him that he tore his angry glare away from the ensuing scene. However, his tangible fury only increased when he saw who it was behind him.

"YOU?!" Josiah spat, malice radiating off of him.

"We meet again, Josiah," Abraham declared, his expression showing equal dislike.

* * *

From across the clearing, Brynhildr had sunk down into a hunting crouch. Arthur had run off the moment he had been freed, but she had remained behind, her sights only for Josiah. She had been waiting for this chance for longer than she could stand. Now, she was finally free, with the hated Josiah only a few yards away. She was not about to let this chance get away from her.

Just as she was preparing to make the fateful lunge at her sworn enemy, she felt a hand drop down on her shoulder. Her nerves on edge, Brynhildr snapped around, ready to lash out at whoever had been foolish enough to sneak up on her. However, the instant it registered who was behind her, Brynhildr's pent-up rage lifted.

"Bella! It's you!"

"I told you I was coming back," Bella reminded.

"But then…where's….?" Instead of finishing her question, Brynhildr looked over Bella's shoulder expectantly, but frowned slightly when she saw Bella was only accompanied by a strikingly short female vampire.

"Don't worry, Brynhildr," the new vampire stated confidently. "You and Vermundr will see each other again very soon."

"It's okay," Bella spoke up, noticing Brynhildr's expression. "Alice is a friend. We'll explain exactly why you shouldn't bet against what she says later on." For a brief second, it looked as if Brynhildr was about to give a reply, but before she got the chance, Josiah's enraged cry caught their attention. As one, they turned to see Josiah being confronted by a young man wielding a crossbow.

"We meet again, Josiah."

"Abraham," Josiah hissed with pure loathing. "I should have killed you when I had the chance all those years ago."

"Yes, you probably should have," Abraham consented with an offhanded shrug. "I suppose that's always the issue with hindsight." Josiah, instead of replying, reached up to grab the old pistol he'd strapped to his belt.

"I'd advise against that," Abraham warned. "Your friends have deserted you, after all. Mine haven't." To emphasize his words, Abraham jerked his head over to the left. At the nonverbal cue, three male vampires emerged from behind the trees. Following close behind them was a handful of the carnival workers, each one bound tightly with a strong looking rope. Taking up the rear, ensuring none of the prisoners tried to make a break for it, was a large wolf with russet-colored fur. The wolf's hackles were standing on end, and a low unbroken growl was emanating from his throat. However, Brynhildr's eyes were locked only on the tallest of the three male vampires, the one with a sword strapped to his back.

As if sensing her gaze, the male vampire slowly started to turn his head, only stopping when his eyes fell upon Brynhildr. The moment he caught sight of her, a myriad of emotions washed over his expression, and without any conscious intent, his body tilted instinctively towards her. It was only then that Brynhildr realized she had taken a few staggering steps forward herself. The spell was broken when the youngest of the male vampires, the one with the reddish brown hair, placed a hand on Vermundr's arm. At the touch, Vermundr forced himself to look away, directing his attention back to Abraham and Josiah just in time to see a slow smirk forming on Joisah's face as he clearly recognized the vampire who had mutilated his hand.

"Well, then," Josiah said with a distant mocking tone, raising his arms in surrender. "It looks like I am outnumbered, doesn't it?" Before anyone could say or do anything, Josiah let out a crazed laugh. "I confess myself disappointed, particularly in you and your attack vampire, Abraham. After our last encounter, you still are far too trusting, not even expecting your enemies to have an alternative plan." Without any further warning, Josiah yanked his pistol from its place on his belt, but instead of aiming it at Abraham or any of the present vampires, he spun around to face the fire, which was still glowing green.

"NO!" Edward shouted, just as Josiah fired the pistol at the fire. The instant the projectile touched the crackling flames, a huge plume of thick black smoke erupted from the fire. The sight of the swirling black smoke alarmed everyone so much; no one even tried to stop Josiah as he tore off into the woods, laughing as he went.

"What's happening?" Carlisle cried out, unable to look away from the billowing smoke.

"Josiah tricked us all!" Edward replied with fury accenting every syllable. "He'd loaded his pistol with a capsule filled with the magical powder needed to complete his ritual. So even if something happened to keep his shaman friend from throwing the magical power into the fire, the ritual could still be finished.

Before their eyes, the smoke began to take shape into a multitude of large hands, which all reached out into the woods. Moments later, a loud din of roars, shrieks and other such agitated noises filled the air. The reason for the noises became clear with the smoke hands reappeared, each clutching some of the beasts that had just escaped from the carnival moments before. Each one of the recaptured creatures were struggling in desperation, trying to break free, but before anyone could push aside their horror to do anything to help them, the smoke hands had pulled them down into the black smoke, where they disappeared from sight.

Out of nowhere, a smoke hand appeared right in front of the friends, reaching out to claim Carlisle. The fingers had barely closed around him, however, when the others broke out of their horrified trace. Moving at vampire speed, Vermundr had withdrawn his sword and swung the blade down, slicing through the smoke with one fluid stroke. The act seemed to work, as the smoke hand dissolved instantly, allowing Carlisle to break free, landing unscathed on the ground.

"Bryn! Catch!" Vermundr shouted, ripping the linen-wrapped parcel from his back and throwing it over to his sister, who caught it in midair effortlessly. Without hesitation, she tore the linens off the gift, staring in amazement at the deadly-looking battle axe with the pure white head. Barely a second had passed that an instant change washed over her face. With an almost manic smile, Brynhildr charged forward, taking her place at her brother's side, joining him in his efforts at slashing though each of the smoke hands every time one of them came near. However, like a hydra, every time the siblings destroyed one of the smoke hands, two more seemed to appear in its place.

"What are all of you waiting for?!" Vermundr bellowed, not even bothering to look away from the smoke hands as he continued to hack and slice away. "Go! Get as far away as you can!"

The moment Vermundr had made this demand, Bella turned beseechingly towards her family.

"What do we do?" she begged. "We can't just leave them like this! We have to help!" For a moment, it looked as if Alice was going to say something, but Edward's sudden snarl cut her off.

"Edward, what is it?" Carlisle asked, taking note of the furious look on his son's face.

"It's Cassie!" Edward snarled. "She and Nessie were starting to worry about what was keeping us after seeing the other creatures running past and momentarily left their hiding spot, just as Josiah was running past. He's spotted them both, and…." Jacob's and Bella's angry growls interrupted Edward's explanation, clearly realizing what Edward was implying. Cassie and Renesmee were in immediate danger.

Abraham had barely heard the conversation going on behind him, completely unable to tear his eyes away from his friend, and the sister he was reunited with at long last. Both were standing firm and strong, fighting against the effects of Josiah's evil ritual, not showing an ounce of fear. It very quickly became clear to him that they both knew fully well that they wouldn't be able to fight off the smoke hands forever, but were still completely ready to go down fighting, just to try and give everyone else a chance to escape with their lives.

The very moment that Abraham made that realization, he was suddenly filled with the same determination that had filled his heart during their fateful battle with the chimera long ago. Just like that day, he felt himself acting without even thinking about it.

"Hurry up, then," he instructed, briefly looking back at Edward. "Go and save Cassie and Nessie." Without another word, Abraham took a few purposeful steps forward, raising his arms up as he did so. Almost instantly, the smoke hands began to draw back, as if an unseen force was pushing them back towards the fire. Within seconds, the smoke hands seemed to be completely encased behind an impenetrable dome-shaped barrier.

"What's happening?" Alice asked, staring at the smoke hands in confusion.

"It's Abraham," Edward explained. He's using his telekinetic powers to form a shield around Josiah's ritualistic fire, in order to prevent the smoke hands from snatching up anyone else. And no, Jacob," Edward continued, answering the shapeshifter's unspoken question. "He doesn't expect to hold them off forever. He made the connection that the smoke hands originated from the fire. And what does fire need to continue burning?"

"He's trying to smother the fire!" Bella realized. "He can do that telekinetically?"

"I've already told you," Vermundr replied proudly, stepping back to stand at Abraham's side, still holding his sword at the ready, just in case. "Abraham's is remarkably strong for a human. Now, hurry! There's no telling what Josiah will do to Cassie and little Ness."

Needing no further bidding, Edward, Bella and Jacob all raced off to aid Cassie and Renesmee, leaving Carlisle, Alice, Vermundr and Brynhildr to assist Abraham if he needed it. Yet, no one noticed when small rivulets of blood started to flow down from Abraham's nose and ears as he continued to keep his barrier up.


	17. Greater Love Hath No One Than This

Cassie held Renesmee close to her chest as they both huddled against a thick tree trunk as every manner of mystical beast and monster tore by. The salamander robe that Cassie had draped over them both protected them from the sight of the retreating creatures. When the last beast disappeared from sight, Cassie allowed Renesmee to slip out of her hold.

"Well," Cassie said, once she was sure none of the beasts would double back. "It looks as if your plan is progressing quite well. So it shouldn't take too much longer for everyone to return."

"Then would it be okay for us to go to the stream bank?" Renesmee asked. "So we can meet them when they come back?"

"Yes, I suppose that would be all right," Cassie agreed. However, just as Cassie was starting to lead the way to the forest stream, Renesmee froze.

"Wait!" she cried, clutching the hem of Cassie's dress to stop her. "Something's coming!"

"What is it?" Cassie whispered, turning back to the small girl immediately.

"I…I don't know," Renesmee admitted. "I can just hear something coming closer. But I don't like it."

A visible tremor washed over Renesmee's body as she clung to Cassie, eyes wide with fear. Without giving a conscious thought, Cassie crouched down and pulled her into a hug, trying to offer her some comfort while straining her ears in an attempt to hear what was scaring the small child so badly. But, no doubt to the fact that she only had a mortal's sense of hearing, she couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary. For that reason, she had no true warning when a good number of smoke hands burst into view. Gasping in shock, Cassie stumbled back slightly, pulling Renesmee up into her arms again.

"What's going on?" Renesmee cried, wrapping her arms around Cassie's neck in fright. Cassie, however, needed a few moments before she could respond.

"I'm not sure," she replied. "I wonder if this is part of Josiah's ritual. He must have been able to complete it."

"But what about Mommy and Daddy!" Renesmee shouted with wide, fearful eyes. "What about Jacob! Are they okay?"

"I don't know, dear." Cassie shook her head in worry. She was about to say more when a horrible noise pierced the air. Before Cassie and Renesmee's eyes, the smoke hands began to pull a good number of the creatures who had just escaped back towards the carnival. Each one of the poor beasts were crying out in anguish, frantically struggling in vain against the smoke hands' ironclad grips.

Out of nowhere, a new smoke hand manifested in front of Cassie and Renesmee. Instinctively, Cassie tightened her hold on Renesmee and started backing away, realizing that this smoke hand was attempting to snatch her up. However the hand seemed to follow her every move. Before too long, Cassie's back was pressed up against the trunk of a tree, with the smoke hand poised right in front of them. However, right when Cassie was sure the smoke hand was going to try and pull Renesmee from her grasp, it suddenly stopped, simply hovering in front of them, almost as if it was sizing them up.

After a few moments of the smoke hand doing absolutely nothing, a giant eye appeared in the smoke hand's palm. A scream of fright instantly slipped from Cassie's mouth and Renesmee recoiled even more. However, the smoke hand continued to hover where it was, the eye simply staring at them both.

"Oh my," Cassie said, suddenly realizing what was going on. "It… it must be your human side! Those hands must be trying to round up every immortal beast and monster that the carnival had a record of. But you, Nessie, are only _half_ vampire. The part of you that's human has confused this smoke hand; it doesn't know what to make of you."

Slowly, Renesmee started to relax and loosened her grip on Cassie. Just as she was about to gesture for Cassie to return her to the ground, the smoke hand shook violently and drifted back the way it came, as if an invisible tether was pulling it back. Upon looking around, Cassie and Renesmee saw that the same thing was happening to the other smoke hands. Her face betraying her bemusement, Renesmee pressed her hand to Cassie's neck.

"I don't know," Cassie replied to the unspoken question over why the hands were withdrawing. Without any noticeable warning, Renesmee squirmed out of Cassie's arms, landing effortlessly on the ground.

"What about Mommy and Daddy?" she cried. "And Jacob, Grandpa Carlisle, Aunt Alice, or Mr. Vermundr? What if the smoke hands grabbed them?"

"Ness, no!" Cassie's plea came too late, as Renesmee had already run off towards the forest stream, and the carnival's location. Without hesitation, Cassie hurried after her, despite knowing that it would be impossible for her to catch up.

Right before the forest stream came into view, the sounds of a sudden commotion reached Cassie's ears. The reason for it became evident when she stepped around a particularly large tree. There, in the middle of the stream, was Josiah, staring at Renesmee, who was standing a few feet away from him, meeting his gaze.

"Renesmee," Cassie spoke in forced calmness, holding out a hand to the child. "Step away from him. Please, come on back over here, dear."

"Well," Josiah said, his eyes zeroing in on Cassie as Renesmee obediently began to back away. "It appears that it's a very good night for meeting old acquaintances."

"Josiah." Cassie acknowledged without a trace of fear on her face. Without taking her eyes off her old enemy, she addressed Renesmee again. "Ness, listen to me. Run on back to the estate. Do not stop until you get there. We'll all join you there soon enough."

"But…"

"It's all right, Ness. Now go on." Renesmee's expression reflected her reluctance to comply with Cassie's wishes, but she dashed off without a word. However, she moved at vampire speed, something that instantly caught Josiah's attention.

"Now, what might _that_ little girl have been?" Josiah asked, staring unblinkingly at the direction Renesmee had disappeared in.

"That is none of your concern," Cassie replied with a tone of finality. If Josiah was angered by Cassie's defiance, he showed no indication of it. Instead, he returned his attention to Cassie, a cruel smile forming on his face.

"I suppose I should not be too surprised to have seen you here Cassandra," he sneered, slowly sauntering forward. "Where Abraham and his pet vampire are, you couldn't have been far behind. But it appears your personal guards are not here this time. Perhaps, we can continue where we left off last time."

Without any further warning, Josiah lunged across the remaining distance between them, reaching out to grab Cassie. At the last possible moment, Cassie managed to duck, avoiding his outreached hand and with a well-practiced fluidity, she produced a simple dagger from a hidden pocket in her dress and slashed out at Josiah, successfully cutting into his cheek. Shouting out in pain and surprise, Josiah stumbled backwards, pressing his good hand to his now-bleeding cheek.

"You are not the only one who has not forgotten the last time we met, Josiah," Cassie stated, keeping her dagger poised to strike a second time. "After that night, Abraham and Vermundr made sure I would at least know how to defend myself from mortal enemies. They are both good teachers; they taught me well."

"So it would seem," Josiah replied, fixing Cassie with a piercing glare, not even bothering to wipe away the blood from his wound. "However, I must ask. Did they teach you how to act when your opponent wields a long range weapon when you only can attack in the short range?" With that said, Josiah whipped out his old pistol once again and began to aim it at Cassie. Before he could complete his movement, however, something shot out from the surrounding woodland, latching onto Josiah's gun-arm. Instantly, Josiah cried out in pain, dropping his gun into the stream as he staggered back a few paces. When he looked back at Cassie, he saw that Renesmee had returned and was standing between them, glaring at Josiah in fierce anger.

"Renesmee!" Cassie cried in alarm. "You were supposed to return to the estate!"

"I couldn't," Renesmee insisted, turning to look back at her. "I couldn't leave you behind. I remember what you said about Josiah and what he's like."

Josiah didn't seem to hear the conversation going on in front of him. He was too busy staring at the small, fresh bite-mark on his arm with dawning realization.

"Vampire," he whispered, lifting his sights up to Renesmee. "And yet, _not_ a vampire. The question is, exactly how much of a vampire is this young one?"

Taking advantage of the fact that Renesmee and Cassie were still not paying enough attention to him, Josiah slowly slid his hand into a small pouch that had been carefully concealed behind his pistol's holster. It was only when he'd already hurled the small capsule he'd withdrew at the ground that the two friends seemed to remember that he was there. The instant the capsule hit the ground, it exploded with a small pop, releasing a surprising amount of thick smoke. Almost instantly, Renesmee fell to her knees, coughing uncontrollably.

"Nessie!" Cassie, her voice filled with immediate concern, crossed the space between them in seconds.

"Well," Josiah said, watching as Cassie crouched down at Renesmee's side. "It appears I was right. This child does have at least some vampire in her. But yet, she's still not a true vampire, otherwise she wouldn't even be able to move right now."

"Josiah, you will stay away from this child!" Cassie ordered, moving to shield Renesmee, brandishing her dagger once again to back up her demand.

"You think," Josiah taunted, eyeing Cassie's dagger, "that just because I've lost my pistol, I would be intimidated by that knife? You are not the only one here who has received specific training since the last time."

With no further warning, Josiah lunged for Cassie, who side-stepped his attack. However, before Cassie could recover her stance, Josiah dropped to the ground and struck his leg out, successfully connecting with Cassie's ankle. The unexpected blow sent Cassie stumbling forward in a desperate attempt to regain her balance. In the process, she snagged her foot against an uneven rock poking out of the ground and she tripped, slamming into the ground.

"Cassie," Renesmee whispered, trying to fight off the bloodroot as she struggled to get up on her hands and knees. As Renesmee watched, Cassie tried to get back up, but when she tried to put her weight on her left foot, she fell back down again with a sudden shout of pain, grabbing at her ankle in the process.

"Well now," Josiah sneered, visibly satisfied at the sight of Cassie lying defenseless on the ground with an injured ankle. "Isn't _this_ how I've always pictured seeing you; crouched on the ground and at my mercy?"

"Then what's stopping you?" Cassie demanded, managing to keep her voice strong and fearless despite her obvious pain. "As you said, I can't fight you off. Go ahead and do it, then."

"Oh, Cassandra," Josiah replied, shaking his head. "You know perfectly well I'm smarter than that. As much as you need to be reconditioned to know your place after spending so much time with that weak, sentimental fool and his vampire lapdog, I know fully well that it's only a matter of time before your friends start coming after me, leaving me vastly outnumbered. I think it would be far better for me to just cut my losses. After all, I may have lost the battle for today, but thanks to that remarkable little half-vampire, I may very well have my ticket to win the war."

"Josiah, NO!" Cassie cried out, eyes widening in alarm as she saw him approach Renesmee and, taking advantage of her inebriated state, lifting her up over his shoulder while taking careful measure to ensure she wouldn't be able to bite him. "Let her go! Please!" Josiah paid no attention to Cassie's words and hurried off with his hostage. In desperation, Cassie attempted to stand again, but her ankle throbbed in protest and she stumbled to the ground once again.

As Cassie began to feel true panic, she was alerted by a sudden sound, like something large crashing through the nearby forest stream. She looked up just in time to see the russet wolf that was Jacob running towards her, with Edward and Bella at his side.

"Cassie! Where's Nessie!" Bella asked the instant she'd reached her side.

"Josiah," Cassie said, speaking through her tangible pain. "He was here. He realized what she was and took her. I'm so sorry! All of you!" Cassie spoke quickly upon seeing the expressions that had appeared on everyone's faces, accompanied by Bella's enraged roar. "I…I tried to…" her words trailed off as she thought about what had happened, trying to decide if there was something she should have done differently.

"No, Cassie." Edward forced himself to respond to Cassie's thoughts. "You did everything you could have done to stop him. And he hasn't gone off too far yet. Bella and I can catch up to him."

Jacob, no doubt noticing Edward did not include him in that statement, let out a low, pleading whine, glancing back at him with equally beseeching eyes.

"I know you want to go after him, too, Jacob," Edward stated, meeting his gaze. "But Cassie needs help, too. You can see for yourself that her ankle is already starting to swell. She's going to need someone to get her to Carlisle." Jacob, after sparing a glance back at Cassie, let out a low huffing sound before lowering his head in reluctant agreement.

"We can take it from here, Jacob," Bella announced. Without further hesitation, Edward and Bella both raced off at vampire speed, leaving Jacob with Cassie. Together, the pair moved through the forest, dodging past the trees and low-growing vegetation as they followed Josiah's scent trail. After a few moments, they reached a break in the trees as they came to a well-traveled road, the same road they'd traveled along when they were returning from Baga Yaga's tree. There, standing on the opposite side of the path, was Josiah, seemingly waiting for them with his pistol drawn. Renesmee was lying listlessly at his feet with a heavy cloth, no doubt doused with bloodroot, firmly tied over her mouth.

Before either Edward or Bella could make even the slightest movement to get Renesmee back from him, Josiah fired the pistol, hitting the incense burners that had been deposited at the base of the tree next to Edward. The moment the scent reached their noses, Edward and Bella fell to their knees.

"Well then," Josiah said as her returned his pistol to its holster again. "That should keep you from following after us. I do have to applaud your efforts tonight. I confess myself impressed with what you've done here. I am a big enough man to admit when I'm beaten. But I'm sure you'll agree that everyone deserves a consolation prize." To emphasize his words, Josiah bent down and scooped up Renesmee again

"LET HER GO!" Edward ordered as Bella let out a terrible snarl.

"No need to shout," Josiah replied tauntingly. "Now that you've disrupted my cleansing ritual, I need a new way to rid the world of your filthy kind. This little wonder child who is both vampire and yet not vampire may just be the key."

Bella, seething with rage at Josiah's plans to use Renesmee to achieve his genocidal goals began to try focusing all her strength in resisting the bloodroot's effects in order to lunge at him. Before she could make a move, Edward's hand closed around her wrist, gently giving it a squeeze. Catching on to the subtle attempt at communication, Bella glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw that his eyes were trained slightly upward. Following his gaze, Bella was quickly able to see what was holding Edward's interest. There, perched on a thick tree branch positioned above Josiah and Renesmee, was Grimalkin. The sight of the thin grey cat momentarily left Bella surprised and amazed. Had she really followed them all the way out here?

As if knowing they had noticed her, Grimalkin spared a glance at them before returning her eyes, which were now narrow slits, back to Josiah. Just as he was starting to make his escape with Renesmee in tow, Grimalkin launched herself off the tree branch and landed on his shoulder with a skill only a cat could possess. Without hesitation, Grimalkin began to attack Josiah by clawing at his face and scalp while biting savagely on his ear. Shouting in surprise and pain from the unexpected assault, Josiah lost his grip on Renesmee, resulting in her slipping from his arms. The moment Renesmee was safely on the ground, Grimalkin, after giving Josiah one more slash, leapt down and landed neatly on Renesmee's chest. In an instant, the pair seemed to vanish from sight in a bright flash of light, reappearing mere seconds later in front of Edward and Bella.

 

"Nessie!" Bella cried, scooping her daughter up in relief and tearing off the makeshift gag before pulling her into a tight hug while Edward stroked her hair in relief. As he did so, he glanced over his shoulder in silent wonder at Grimalkin, who was sitting contently at his side calmly washing her face. There was no sense in denying that Grimalkin had somehow managed to use teleportation in order to get Renesmee away from Josiah. No sooner did he start to wonder how a cat could have a gift like that did he remember something Abraham said to them on the day they had first came to this time.

_We figure that her previous life of being constantly exposed to Baba Yaga's magic left some lasting effects on Grimalkin._

If what he had just seen was any indication, Abraham's words were probably truer than anyone had previously guessed. Grimalkin clearly had some magic in her, too.

"Don't think this is over, monster!" Josiah's angry words managed to alert Edward and Bella to the fact that he was still there. Returning their gazes to the bitter man, they could see in his face that while he knew they were too inebriated by the bloodroot's effects to pursue him, it was still unwise to even think about approaching them in order to reclaim Renesmee.

"I will find a way to rid this world of your filth yet!" Josiah vowed, starting to back away. "Make no mistake about that."

"Joisiah!" Bella gasped, suddenly seeing what was coming up behind him. "Stop!"

"I do not even hear the words your foul tongue utters!" Josiah shouted, a truly manic look on his face. "Treasure what's left of your disgusting existence while you can!" Josiah's laugh died in his throat as he turned to race off, nearly running straight into the three creatures before him. It was probably only because they had studied Abraham and Vermundr's books that Edward and Bella were able to recognize the three beasts as a kikiyaon, a harpy and a manticore. All three of the beasts that were now towering over the shocked Josiah had the Carnival of Darkness' brand mark burned onto their chests or side and it was clear, as their growls and snarls indicated, that they knew all too well that Josiah had been the one responsible for their imprisonment.

Bella, instinctively knowing what was about to happen before it actually did, turned and hid her face in Edward's chest, but she could still hear Josiah's terrified scream cutting off abruptly with a sickening crunch, followed by the unmistakable sound of a human body being torn apart.

"Let's go, love," Edward whispered in Bella's ear while rubbing her back in a comforting manner. "We should get out of here. While they're distracted." Bella simply nodded and allowed Edward to lead her and the still listless Renesmee away from the scene, with Grimalkin trailing behind them. It was only when they were sure the trees around them would even obstruct a vampire's eyesight that they stopped and shared a long glance. Neither of them had to say anything to know that they were thinking the same thing. In spite of everything he'd done, had Josiah really deserved what had just happened to him?

"Mommy? Daddy?" Renesmee muttered, slowly opening her eyes again. "I'm ready to go home now."

"I know sweetheart," Edward replied, smiling down at her. "We'll go home very soon. I promise…." Edward's statement cut off mid-sentence as he sank to his knees without warning, letting out a sudden scream, gripping his head in the process.

"Edward!" Bella cried, dropping to Edward's side in alarm. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Bella," Edward gasped out, breathing heavily and looking extremely pale.

"Daddy?" Renesmee looked up at her father in concern and worry.

"We need to get back to the others," Edward said, his voice shaking slightly. "Quickly."

"No," Bella gasped, her eyes widening in alarm as Edward staggered to his feet. "Something happened! What is it, Edward? Did something happen to Carlisle? To Alice? Jacob?"

"I don't know," Edward admitted, shaking his head. "But…I heard… Vermundr's thoughts. His thought wasn't coherent enough to hear what happened. All I could determine was the timbre."

"And that was?" Bella prompted.

"Pain," Edward answered, hurrying forward once again, Bella and Renesmee at his heels. "Pain and anguish." Immediately, Bella felt a thrill of foreboding. What could have made Vermundr feel distress so intense that the very thought of it brought Edward to his knees? Her first thought went to Brynhildr and she started to despair at the thought that something had separated the two siblings right when they had finally been reunited.

Just as Edward, Bella and Renesmee were nearing the spot where they'd left the others, a sudden rustle ahead of them announced the approach of Jacob in his wolf form, mere seconds before he emerged from a particularly large patch of ferns. The moment he caught sight of them, his tense stance relaxed significantly and he strolled forward, his eyes focused on Renesmee as if checking for any visible injuries. With a gentle smile, Renesmee reached out a hand and patted Jacob's nose in greeting.

"Jacob?" Bella asked hesitantly, fearing the answer. "What happened?" Jacob, after meeting Bella's eyes momentarily, lowered his head and emitted a low, mournful whine. With a tangible sadness, Jacob turned and led them all the rest of the way back to the clearing where the now-vanquished Carnival of Darkness had been. The first thing they saw upon entering the clearing was Alice and Brynhildr. The pair of them stood with their backs to them, but upon hearing their approach, they turned in unison to greet their friends with weak, half-hearted smiles before returning their gazes back to the scene ahead of them. It wasn't until they had taken their places at Alice and Brynhildr's side that they all saw what was happening.

A few feet ahead, Cassie was lying across the unmoving Abraham's chest, her body wracked with sobs as a sorrowful looking Carlisle knelt by her side, gently rubbing her back in comfort. Vermunder was crouched at Abraham's head. His shoulders were hunched and head bowed, but his hair fell forward, obscuring his expression from view.

"Abraham," Alice said, her voice warbling with emotion. "He used his telekinetic powers to smother the ritual fire and hold back the smoke hands. But… it was… He was still only human. Carlisle thinks the mental strain involved was too much for him, causing a severe brain hemorrhage."

"Can't we stop it?" Bella asked urgently, staring down at Abraham in shock. "There has to be some way to…"

"No, Bella," Carlisle interrupted gently. "If Abraham had stopped when the hemorrhaging first began, there might have been a chance. But in his determination to completely stop Josiah's ritual cleansing, he kept the barrier up far longer than he was physically able to. By the time he lost consciousness, the bleeding had already spread too far. Even if I had access to the medical advancements from our time, there still would be nothing I could do. I doubt…I doubt even vampire venom could save him. His heart has already stopped."

Even though the majority of those present possessed an advanced mental processing speed, the shock of the moment still kept them from fully taking in what Carlisle had just said. The moment it did, however, everyone's grief was tangible. Even Brynhildr, who hadn't gotten the chance to even meet Abraham, had difficulty in keeping her composure from the weight of the situation. To think that one single human had saved all of their lives by giving his. After a long silence that may have lasted many minutes or even hours, Jacob let off a single, mournful howl that seemed to echo throughout the entire forest.

As Jacob's howl died away, Cassie finally pulled herself up into a kneeling position. With her eyes remaining fixed on Abraham's face, she began to speak.

"We… we need to bring Abraham back to the estate," she decided. "We shouldn't… we can't leave him lying here for much longer."

"I think that's a good idea," Carlisle agreed. However, when he moved to carefully pick up Abraham's body, Vermundr suddenly moved, lunging forward with a primal snarl. Setting baleful eyes upon Carlisle's surprised face, he hovered over Abraham's body protectively.

"Vermundr, I'm sorry." Carlisle spoke slowly and carefully, trying to calm the enraged vampire. "There's nothing you can do for him now. Please, we need to move his body. You don't want to just leave it out here, do you?" Vermundr showed no indication that he'd even heard Carlisle. Instead, he continued to glare, a low, threatening growl echoing in his throat.

"Vermundr?" Cassie whispered, fearlessly reaching out despite his growls and taking his face in her hands. "Please, Vermundr. Please hear me. Help us bring Abraham back home. Please." Ever-so-slowly, the fury melted away from Vermundr's expression until he looked simply numb. Wordlessly, he gathered up Abraham's body in his arms and, without a backward glance, he staggered off back towards the estate, the others following after him.


	18. Tears

"Brynhildr, you should probably go and hunt," Carlisle said, breaking the dreary silence within the estate's withdrawing chamber. "It must have been far too long for you since you last fed. We could even help you, if you want."

Briefly, Brynhildr looked over at Carlisle, but then glanced out the nearby window. One didn't need to be a mind reader to know the direction her thoughts were going in, so her response came as no surprise.

"I will hunt when my brother is up to it."

"It might be some time," Alice pointed out.

"I've gone without blood for years," Brynhildr replied. "But I've been apart from Vermundr for much longer. I cannot leave when he's clearly hurting."

"Actually, you don't have to," Cassie spoke up, softly shuffling into the room with a silver wine decanter and a crystal goblet in her hands. "Sometimes, despite hunting regularly, Vermundr worried about spending all his time around humans like myself and… and Abraham." For a brief moment, Cassie slightly swayed as if she was about to faint. However, right before anyone could come to her aid, she seemed to shake it off and continued. "He often feared he might be overcome by the temptation. So he'd taken to storing the excess from his hunting trips in this decanter in case he ever needed to take the edge off. I'm sure he would be perfectly fine with you having some. I realize it might not be the freshest, but it's probably better than nothing."

"You humans have a saying, I believe," Brynhildr commented, carefully accepting the decanter. "Any port in a storm, is that right?"

As Brynhildr started off slowly draining the decanter, doing her best not to pull a face at the taste of the animal blood, the heavy silence fell once again.

Once they had returned to the estate, Vermundr, after depositing Abraham's body in the fallen man's old bedroom, had locked himself up in his forge out back. He hadn't even responded when Edward and Jacob had gone out to ask for his assistance in figuring out what to do with the surviving carnival workers. Thankfully, it turned out Vermundr's assistance had not been needed after all. The events of the night had drained the fight out of the carnival workers, and they had not shown any reluctance at agreeing to leave the vicinity at sunrise. Only one of the survivors had expressed hesitation: a rather scared and broken-looking man Edward had recognized as Daniel, the timid carnival worker who had helped capture Nightmare when she'd been disguised as Jacob. When Daniel had explained that his hesitation was not because he wanted to continue the fight but rather that he had nowhere else to go, Bella had come up with the suggestion that Daniel should join up with the widowed Felicity and her children, pointing out that they could take care of each other from now on. Thus, taking into account how Felicity might not be receptive of a vampire coming to her room at the inn, Jacob had volunteered to escort Daniel into town and explain the situation to her. He had returned from his errand less than fifteen minutes ago with the news that Felicity and Daniel had both agreed to the suggestion to leave the town together.

"What are we going to do now?" Renesmee asked, breaking the silence once again, absentmindedly reaching out to stroke Grimalkin's head when the cat curled up on her lap.

"I wish I knew," Edward replied. "It's rather clear we gave up our chance to get back home in order to stop Josiah and put an end to the Carnival of Darkness. So it looks as if our only option is to take the slow path."

"It might be a bit hard for us," Alice pointed out. "We have to be careful not to do anything that could alter historical events."

"And we probably should make an effort to make sure we don't have a run-in with Carlisle's past self," Bella added.

"I think there's one thing we should worry about first and foremost," Carlisle announced, getting to his feet. "We'll need to give Abraham the dignified interment he deserves. We owe him that much."

"I," Cassie whispered, wiping her eyes as she spoke. "I think I know where Abraham would want to be placed. But only Vermundr knows the exact… Cassie's words broke off with a sudden gasp as she stared wide-eyed at the entrance of the withdrawing chamber. Baba Yaga was standing there, standing surprisingly tall considering her hunched figure. "Baba Yaga! We didn't hear you come in!"

"And that is how I like it," the gypsy witch commented. "I trust you have properly dealt with the carnival?"

"You knew about the Carnival of Darkness?" Jacob cried.

"How stupid are you?! Of course I knew! Those fools were skulking outside my tree searching for magical creatures for their collection, announcing to the whole world what they were planning to do. I wasn't going to sit back and let them wipe out all those creatures. Most of my ingredients for spells come from those beasts."

"But if you knew, why didn't you warn us from the start?" Bella asked. Instead of replying, Baba Yaga gave her a withering glare. Seconds later, Edward let out a sudden hiss.

"It was you!" he exclaimed. "The fog that brought us back to this time! _You_ were the one who cast that spell!"

"I assure you, that was not my plan," Baba Yaga scoffed. "The spell I cast was supposed to locate someone that could provide a way to put a stop to it all. Of course, I had no way of knowing that it would actually reach through the sands of time in order to complete its task."

"That doesn't explain why you didn't inform us what you knew from the start," Alice pointed out.

"And what would that have accomplished?" Baba Yaga snapped. "It appears you managed to handle things regardless."

"But if we had known ahead of time," Carlisle reasoned. "We might have been better prepared. And perhaps we could have been able to save Abraham."

"Oh?" Baba Yaga raised an eyebrow. "You believe there would have been a way to stop the carnival without making sacrifices? In that case, try and think for a moment. What would you have done differently, had you known about the carnival from the start?"

"Does that mean you knew?" Vermundr asked, suddenly appearing behind Baba Yaga, his expression clouded. "You knew what might happen to Abraham when we set off to stop the carnival?"

"Well, you're still here, are you?" Baba Yaga eyed Vermundr almost dismissively. "I have to confess I am surprised. Since Abraham is gone, I believed the Life Contract would have come to an end."

"So what if it is?" Bella challenged. "Life Contract or not, Vermundr and Abraham were _friends!_ How can you even think Vermundr would have just gone off the second Abraham died?" Instantly, Baba Yaga let off a cackling laugh.

"You really are stupid!" she cried. "Did you think that the Life Contract was only temporary? Something finite that would allow Vermundr to continue walking the earth after it ran its course? You have no idea what the Life Contract entails! Allow me to explain as simply as possible so even you fools will understand. The Life Contract binds this vampire to Abraham's bloodline for all eternity! The moment the bloodline dies out, Vermundr will also cease to exist!"

" _What?!_ "

"Getting it now, are you?" Baba Yaga sneered. "So you can hardly blame me for being surprised to see that Vermundr still remains now that Abraham's life has ended."

"Oh!" Carlisle suddenly gasped, his eyes wide with realization as he turned to look at Cassie. "Now I understand. Abraham was the father, wasn't he?"

"Wha…what?" Cassie sputtered, meeting Carlisle's gaze in surprise. "How…how did you….?"

"The other day," Carlisle explained. "You and I were talking in the hall. In that brief silence before Nessie woke up, I heard a very faint sound coming from you. After all the years I've spent as a doctor, I would know that sound instantly. It was the sound of a developing heart beating within the womb."

A faint pinkish hue colored Cassie cheeks as her hands slowly rose to rest against her abdomen, almost absent-mindedly. Lowering her eyes nervously, she nodded her head.

"Three months gone," she confessed. "It's not showing yet. When Abraham and I found out the true nature of the Life Contract, neither of us could bear the idea that Vermundr's life would end when Abraham's did. We agreed to do what we could to prevent that from happening, by ensuring Abraham's bloodline would continue on after Abraham's life came to an end." After a pause, Cassie turned to cautiously glance at Vermundr. "We… we were going to tell you soon, Vermundr. I promise we were."

"Come now, Cassie," Vermundr shook his head. "You don't really think I didn't know, did you?"

"You did?! But how?"

"Did you forget what I was?" Vermundr asked, letting out what sounded like a choked laugh. In that one moment, he looked suddenly embarrassed. "Dead blood may not be appealing, but it's still blood. Did you really think I wouldn't have noticed that you were no longer _bleeding_ periodically?" The blush on Cassie's cheeks instantly got brighter and she averted her eyes, but after a few moments, a small smile appeared on her face.

"I suppose I _should_ have realized you would notice that," she admitted.

"Well, it looks like I was wrong about you lot," Baba Yaga stated, interrupting the moment. "It appears you _are_ capable of making intelligent plans. You're not as hopeless as I took you for. Now, since I have the confirmation I need that the danger of the carnival has passed once and for all….."

"No," Vermundr growled, his mood shifting to anger in an instant. "You still haven't answered my question, witch! _Did you know!?_ Did you know Abraham might not return home with us when we went off to stop the carnival?"

"Does it truly matter?" Baba Yaga inquired, casting Vermundr a withering look.

His response was immediate. In the blink of an eye, Vermundr had Baba Yaga pinned against the wall, his hand clenched over her neck, but before anyone could even react, a burst of light erupted from Baba Yaga's staff. Vermundr was instantly thrown across the room, crashing into a table that was holding a various assortment of small trinkets, all of which smashed upon hitting the hard floor.

"THIS IS WHY I DID NOT WARN YOU!" Baba Yaga shrieked, staring down at Vermundr with rage radiating off her ancient face. "This is why I cast the spell to locate someone who _could_ help put an end to the Carnival of Darkness! I _knew_ I couldn't trust you and the human Abraham to handle the threat on your own!" You put far too much value in your insignificant friends! What if you _had_ discovered Josiah's plot on your own, without the aid of the newcomers from the future? I wouldn't have been surprised if you had stepped aside and purposely allowed Josiah to win, all so your little human friends would get out unscathed! For something that is supposed to be eternal, you have forgotten how dangerous it is to only look at things subjectively."

Without another word, Baba Yaga turned on her heel and marched out of the room. However she stopped at the entryway, turning to address Carlisle.

"Your potion, vampire," she said, tossing Carlisle a small crystal vial containing a murky green liquid. "I promised to send you home to your time, and I keep my promises. When you are ready, just go back to the spot where you arrived and pour the potion on the ground. It will recreate the fog that will allow you to return to your time." Seconds after she'd given her instructions, Baba Yaga seemingly vanished on the spot. However, no one had been really paying attention to her departure. They were all focused on Vermundr, who was standing in front of the fireplace as still as a statue simply staring into the crackling flames.

"She was right." Vermundr finally spoke, not tearing his eyes away from the fire. "If I'd known that stopping the Carnival would have cost us Abraham, I would have let Josiah complete his ritual. Please don't misunderstand me, though! I am not saying I would have turned away and allowed any of you to perish. I am merely speaking of how I would have responded had the spell not brought you back to this time.

"Before our paths crossed that evening in Epping Forest, Abraham and Cassie were the only friends I possessed in this world. Even you, Carlisle; despite the fact that your younger self exists right now, you do not know the trials that befall a vampire when they choose the life of a Gold Eye, or Vegetarian, or whatever you wish to call us. As I have seen, by the time you began truly interacting with others of our kind, you were, in a sense, protected by your relationship with the Italians. Not even the most cavalier vampire would dare mock anyone in that position. But it is different for the _commoner_ vampires. It is better now that I am a fugitive, and therefore have to keep contact with other vampires at a minimum, but before then? I was a filthy traitor.  A disgrace to all self-respecting vampires everywhere. All because I chose to align myself with humans and refrained from drinking human blood. I was an outcast everywhere, with no true place among other vampires or humans. Abraham and Cassie were all I had, the three of us forming a single family of outcasts. Up until now, I lived for them, and only them. So why would I stand aside and knowingly allow Abraham to give up his life to protect creatures I did not know? Why would I let him prevent the eradication of all vampires when they had all, with very few exceptions, shunned me because of my chosen lifestyle, particularly when doing so would result in Abraham paying the ultimate price? Call me heartless if you will, but I would have allowed them all to be wiped out, myself included, if it meant keeping Abraham alive."

"Bróðir," Brynhildr muttered, despite clearly not knowing what to say.

"You know something?" Vermundr continued, showing no indication that he'd heard his sister speak. "Out of all the vampires in existence, I'm probably the only one who will always completely remember what it's like to be human, all thanks to Baba Yaga's spell. The one that subjected Abraham and myself to a full body swap.  I remember how it feels to be hungry for food, what it's like to feel physical fatigue, the relief that comes with each breath. But out of all of that, do you know what I miss the most about being human?" Before anyone could even begin to answer, Vermundr finally turned to face the others, revealing that his face held the look of someone who'd experienced years of torment.

"What I miss the most," Vermundr announced, "is the ability to produce tears." Without another word, Vermundr spun back around, his shoulders slightly shaking from tearless sobs. After a brief pause, Cassie slowly stepped forward until she was standing right behind him. Wordlessly, she reached out and took Vermundr's hand. At the touch, Vermundr's head snapped around, meeting her expectant gaze.

"Well then," Cassie said, her voice sorrowful but unwavering at the same time. "It's a good thing you've got me. I can produce enough tears for the both of us." With that, Cassie threw her arms around Vermundr, hugging him as tight as she could as she buried her face in his shoulder, breaking down into tears herself.

"Cass," Vermundr whispered, his voice horse and rough, moments before returning the hug, resting his chin atop her head. Unwilling to intrude on the pair's mourning, the Cullens and Brynhildr quietly slipped out of the room.

"Is it right?" Alice broke the silence once they had gone a respectful distance away. "Should we just go home, after what has happened? It almost seems disrespectful to leave now."

"At the very least," Carlisle decided. "We should stay one more day. It wouldn't be right if we left before paying our final respects to Abraham."

As this conversation was going on, Bella noticed that Brynhildr was stepping away from the others. Without hesitation, she followed after her, catching up to the older vampire just outside the dining hall.

"My brother," Brynhildr said. "I almost cannot believe it, despite seeing the proof of it firsthand. To think that two humans care so much for him they would go through the measures they did to keep him safe. I remember the story you told me, about how Abraham gave up his hand to help my brother. Then, he gave his life to save us all. And now, the knowledge that he and Cassie were willing to produce a child just to ensure Vermundr would live on. I'm afraid that knowledge frightens me. As foolish as it may sound, I cannot help but wonder if my brother really does need me."

"What are you talking about?" Bella exclaimed. "Of course he does! You are his sister. I saw his face when he found out you were still alive."

"Yes, I am, alive" Brynhildr agreed. "We're both alive, and we all know it now. But that doesn't mean that he has need of me, particularly since he clearly has Cassie now."

"You're wrong," Edward announced stepping into the conversation casually, placing his arm around Bella's shoulder as he spoke. "You forget that I can hear Vermundr's thoughts. The moment the fact that you were alive completely resonated in his mind, I saw the direction of his thoughts, as clear as day. In that one moment, he pictured you coming to live alongside him, Abraham and Cassie, and all four of you sitting at the dining table while Abraham and Cassie ate, everyone laughing and sharing stories. He pictured you accompanying him and Abraham on their monster hunting exploits, you standing by his side during hunting trips, and sitting together in the withdrawing chamber while Abraham and Cassie slept through the night, just talking. He dreamed of a future where a family of three became a family of four. Because of Abraham's sacrifice, the future Vermundr wished for cannot come to pass the way he'd wanted. But you are still here, and that means that Vermundr might still get the family of four he desired."

"Family of four?" Brynhildr repeated, clearly confused.

"Cassie has admitted to be carrying Abraham's son or daughter," Bella pointed out. "Once he, or she, is born, your number will be four again."

"But only if you do not leave," Edward continued. "Vermundr needs you now more than ever." After a brief pause, Brynhildr nodded once in understanding.


	19. The Return

It was midmorning when the Cullens, Jacob, Cassie, Vermundr and Brynhildr left the estate. Nightmare, now back in her usual form of a black mare, was pulling the wooden cart transporting Abraham's body. It had been settled shortly after dawn that they would first venture to the site where the Cullens and Jacob had first arrived in this time, in order to send them back home. This had been decided on because Vermundr had agreed with Cassie's thought that Abraham would have wanted his final resting place to be the spot where he'd first met Vermundr. However, since the location in question was a ways away from Epping Forest, it would only make sense for the Cullens and Jacob to return home first. As Vermundr pointed out, it wouldn't be fair to make the rest of their families wait longer. None of the Cullens had really argued against only accompanying their friends for the first stretch of the journey, and they'd held an improvised memorial service before leaving the estate in order to allow everyone to say a final goodbye to Abraham.

As the small group made their way down the winding path that bordered the woods, Bella chanced a glance back at the wagon's driver's seat, where Renesmee was sitting between Cassie and Grimalkin. She had been feeling deep concern for her daughter since the moment they'd first learned of the Carnival of Darkness, and those worries had only gotten stronger after the night's ordeal. There was no denying that, regardless of how intelligent she was, Renesmee had only been born a few months ago. The knowledge that Renesmee had been forced to endure the threat of the Volturi, immediately followed by everything that had happened since Baba Yaga's spell had brought them all to the past, left Bella fearful over what sort of effect all of it would have on Renesmee in the long run.

Tearing her eyes away from Renesmee, Bella concentrated on lowering her mental shield for a few moments.

_Edward? How's Nessie holding up? Will she be okay?_

In response, Edward gave Bella's hand a gentle squeeze before casually draping his arm around her shoulder, bending down to press his lips against her head.

"She's doing okay for the moment," Edward whispered into Bella's hair, keeping his voice low enough to ensure only she'd hear him speaking. "It could be everything hasn't caught up to her yet, but it's too soon to know for sure. Right now, she's simply looking forward to being home again and seeing the rest of our family."

Edward's assurances were cut short when Vermundr reached out and gripped Nightmare's harness, stopping the cart.

"This will be it," he stated, staring off into the woods. "This is where we'd left the cart on the night when you first arrived in this time. If we enter Epping Forest here, we'll reach the spot where you can use Baba Yaga's potion and return to your own time. Nightmare? I have to ask you to protect the cart until we get back." Nightmare lowered her head, giving a soft snort of acknowledgement.

In silence, the group left the path to journey through the woods. It didn't take too long before they came across a foul smell, one that was soon revealed to be emanating from what appeared to be a lumpy mound of earth. Upon closer inspection, the Cullens all realized that it was the decaying remains of the troll Abraham and Vermundr had brought down the night they'd arrived in this time period, just over a week ago.

"Well then," Cassie announced, doing her best to ignore the rotting body as she addressed the Cullens. "It looks like this is where we say ' _goodbye_.'" Immediately, Bella moved forward, pulling Cassie into a hug. While she had known what this goodbye would mean, it wasn't until now that she fully appreciated the fact that this would be the very last time they would ever see Cassie. It was clear from Cassie's expression that she'd reached the same conclusion, but she forced a smile regardless as Alice stepped forward for a hug as well.

"Thank you for everything, all of you," Carlisle said, shaking Vermundr's hand before gently patting Brynhildr's shoulder. "If you have the chance when 2007 arrives, look us up."

"We shall," Vermundr agreed.

Renesmee, who had been cradling a content-looking Grimalkin in her arms this whole time, gave the cat one last hug before stepping forward to pass her back to Vermundr.

"Actually, Ness," Vermundr said, crouching down to her level. "I think Grimalkin would be much happier if she stayed with you."

"Really?" Renesmee's eyes widened.

"I was told how she came all the way from the estate just to help save you from Josiah. She never did that for any of us. I believe Grimalkin has made a stronger connection to you. Do you agree, Grimalkin?" In response to Vermundr addressing her directly, Grimalkin let out a contented purr. In that one moment, the small grey cat almost seemed to be smiling.

After everyone had gotten their chance to say their goodbyes, Vermundr, Brynhildr and Cassie stepped away, giving Carlisle room to pour Baba Yaga's potion on the ground. In seconds, a pillar of smoke had formed, stretching all the way up to the forest canopy. With one last look back at their friends, the Cullens all stepped into the pillar, entering what seemed to be a tunnel of fog.

"As much as I'm looking forward to going home, I do feel bad leaving them behind," Carlisle said as they journeyed down the tunnel. "They've got a very lonely journey back to the estate ahead of them."

"They're not going back to the estate," Edward announced. "That thought was very strong in their minds all day."

"You mean they were leaving the area for good?" Jacob asked.

"It's the real reason why Vermundr suggested seeing us off before going to the burial site. They had no intention of returning to Epping Forest afterward. There are…too many memories there."

Shortly after Edward had revealed this, the fog around them dissipated, revealing their surroundings had completely changed. They were no longer in Epping Forest, but along the bank of a river nestled between two mountains covered in pine trees.

"This is it!" Alice whispered, looking around in joy and relief. "We're back on Mount Queets! I know it!"

Before anyone could reply to Alice's statement, the sound of something large moving through the nearby trees caught their attention. Moments later, a gray wolf emerged from the tree line, coming to a stop in front of them.

"Leah!" Jacob exclaimed, recognizing her instantly. In response, Leah fixed him with a sharp glare before throwing her head back, releasing a loud howl. Within seconds, the woods around them were filled with the sounds of a large number of animals running toward them. In next to no time, the mountain valley was filled with Quileute wolves. Three of the wolves instantly broke apart from the rest of them, walking right up to Jacob who greeted Embry, Quil and Seth in turn.

" _Carlisle?_ " Upon hearing his name being spoken, Carlisle spun around, just in time to see Esme racing toward them at top speed, followed closely by Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. In the blink of an eye, Esme had run right into Carlisle's open arms while Jasper went right for Alice. Rosalie instantly had scooped Renesmee up, and a laughing Emmett nearly tackled Edward before swinging Bella around in a bear hug.

* * *

The kitchen in the Cullen family's home was filling up with the reddish light of the setting sun before Carlisle, Edward, Bella and Alice finished telling their family the story of what happened. Jacob had returned to La Push with the rest of the Quileute wolves to do his part of relating the same story to the elders of La Push. Renesmee, whose eyes had started drooping a few hours ago, had fallen asleep on a makeshift bed on the sofa in the next room, with Grimalkin curled up at her feet.

"So, if it weren't for Abraham," Esme said once the story was finished, "none of us would be here now. I wish we could have thanked him."

"I'm sure he knows we're all grateful," Carlisle reassured her.

"I hope we didn't worry you too much while we were gone," Bella said.

"Of course, we were worried," Jasper stated.

"Didn't Vermundr keep his promise? He told us he'd send you word the moment he could, explaining things."

"Oh, I believe he did," Esme replied. "A man from the post office came to the house the day after you disappeared. He had an old letter that he said had been around since the mid-1800s. The letter had come with instructions that it was not to be delivered until that very day."

"What did it say?" Edward asked. In response, Esme stepped away from the table and picked up a yellowing letter that had been left on the nearby counter.

" _If my instructions have been followed_ ," she read, _"you should be receiving this letter after your loved ones, Carlisle, Edward, Bella, Renesmee, Alice and Jacob, have seemingly vanished. I assure you all that they are safe and unharmed and are not gone for good. The reason for their departure is because their assistance is needed for a matter of great importance. If all goes well, they will return home after a week. Once again, I give you my word that they are safe. I beg your forgiveness for not explaining more, but the full story is not something you can properly explain in a letter. I'm confident that they will want to tell you everything when they return to you._ "

"We had wondered about the authenticity of the letter," Jasper said. "How could someone write that letter so long ago and know exactly that you would disappear when you did? But, considering what you've told us about what's happened to you, I suppose it makes sense now."

"Do you think Vermundr and Brynhildr are still out there somewhere?" Emmett asked. "If we agree that letter was from them, it was written in the mid-1800s. But…anything could have happened since then."

"I hope they _are_ still out there, Emmett," Bella replied.

"Now that I think about it," Rosalie spoke up, "I _did_ check the mail before we went out to look for you this afternoon, just in case there was something from you, further explaining things. There was an envelope addressed to you, Carlisle. From a J. Seward. I left it unopened, thinking it might be someone you knew through your work at the hospital."

"J. Seward?" Carlisle mused, taking the envelope when Rosalie held it out. "I don't remember meeting anyone by that name." In silence, Carlisle opened the letter and started to read through it, his eyes winding after a few seconds.

"It's from Vermundr!" he cried. Without preamble, he began reading the letter out loud.

_Dear Carlisle, Alice, Edward, Bella, Renesmee and Jacob (if you're there),_

_If you are reading this, I can only conclude you made it back safely. I'm glad to know Baba Yaga's potion did what it was supposed to do._

_First off, I'd like to apologize if the name printed on the envelope has caused you confusion. As the years went by, and the knowledge of our kind's existence faded from human memory, Brynhildr and I agreed that it was best to adopt aliases, particularly since our real names had started falling into obscurity. If we continued to introduce ourselves as Vermundr and Brynhildr, it would undoubtedly lead to unwanted questions. Thus, we began to answer to John and Brynn Seward when in public. The fact that it also offers us further protection from the Volturi learning that I'm still around only solidified the necessity of having new names._

_To the members of the Cullen family we have yet to meet in person- Esme, Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper- I hope my last letter had reached you as I'd intended. I admit that I had doubts that the humans handling it would deliver it when I asked. Brynhildr urged me to have a little bit of faith. I do hope it wasn't unfounded._

_You should all know that Brynhildr and I are doing quite well for ourselves. As you might have guessed, there's not much demand for Monster Hunters anymore. But changing times lead to new opportunities. Since we parted ways, Bryn has discovered an aptitude for entrepreneurship. Of course, up until the 19th and early 20th centuries, she had to disguise herself as a man, but even then, she managed to lay the foundation for quite a few successful companies. As for myself, I've dabbled in a few different jobs throughout the years. At present, I'm seeking a position as a history professor at a few universities. How many historians can claim that they actually witnessed certain events in person instead of just learning about them from textbooks and microfilms of old newspaper headlines?_

_We hope to be able to come visit you sometime soon. However, it might be best if we meet somewhere away from the Olympic Peninsula. While I know the chances of it are probably slim at this point, I somehow doubt the Quileute elders would be pleased if we risk the wolf packs getting any larger. If it is possible, please feel free to contact us anytime. I trust Alice will be able to see where we can be located._

_Before I end this letter, I'm confident that Cassie would have wanted me to convey this to all of you, particularly to you, Bella. She often spoke about how she missed you all, right up until the end, when she passed peacefully in her sleep. Roughly six months after you returned home, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The name she chose for her son was Gabriel. He grew up to be a fine young man and was every inch his father's son._

_Until we meet again, my friends._

* * *

Edward took one last glance back at Renesmee, sound asleep in her wrought iron crib, before stepping back out of her bedroom to rejoin Bella in the cottage's living room. He had been concerned she would have been woken up when they had carried her from the main house to return to their cottage, but she hadn't even stirred once. That alone was a relief to Edward. She needed a good, long sleep.

Leaving the door to Renesmee's room open a small crack, Edward moved through the cottage, finding Bella standing by their filled bookshelf, studying a leather-bound book.

"Bella, love?" Edward asked, instantly noticing Bella's furrowed brow. "Is something wrong?"

"No everything's fine," Bella answered quickly, looking up at him with a warm smile. "It feels wonderful to be back home again."

"Then why did you look so sad?"

"It was that name Vermundr is now using as an alias," Bella explained. "John Seward. The instant I heard it, it sounded so familiar. I was sure I knew that name from somewhere, but I just couldn't place where. I almost started to wonder if he had been one of my teachers back when I lived in Phoenix, particularly when he said he was applying to be a college professor somewhere, but I somehow knew that wasn't it. Besides, Vermundr couldn't have taught a class in Phoenix. At least, not during the day. It was too sunny there."

"So, did you figure it out?"

"I think I did," Bella replied, handing Edward the open book. After taking it, Edward took a quick glance at the book's cover.

"Dracula?" he asked, an air of amusement in his face and tone.

"Emmett gave it to me as a joke," Bella explained, looking like she would be blushing if it was possible. "Back when I was recovering in that hospital in Phoenix a few years ago. But I think Vermundr must have read it at least once, too. Just look at this part here." Edward obediently read the passage Bella pointed to.

" _Dear Madam, I pray you to pardon my writing, in that I am so far friend as that I sent to you sad news of Miss Lucy Westenra's death. By the kindness of Lord Godalming, I am empowered to read her letters and papers, for I am deeply concerned about certain matters vitally important. In them I find some letters from you, which show how great friends you were and how you love her. Oh, Madam Mina, by that love, I implore you, help me. It is for others' good that I ask, to redress great wrong, and to lift much and terrible troubles, that may be more great than you can know. May it be that I see you? You can trust me. I am friend of Dr. ….. John Seward!_ " Upon reaching the name, Edward's eyes snapped up to meet Bella's.

"In the novel," Bella explained, "the character of John Seward is a friend to the literary version of Abraham Van Helsing, one who helped him defeat Dracula. When you take that into account, it's really not too surprising that Vermundr chose to pick that particular name. I think it's Vermundr's way of continuing to honor his best friend's memory."

"It's a bit of a risk, though," Edward said, setting the book aside. "A vampire going around with a name taken from the most well-known novel about vampires?"

"I don't think so," Bella disagreed. "I think that if I didn't already know that there were vampires, I wouldn't have suspected anything, even if I had noticed where the name had come from. If anything, I'd have concluded that his parents had just been very big fans of the novel. At least we know that it's worked for him so far. The letter he sent us proves that he and Brynhildr are still alive."

With a gentle smile, Edward crossed the room and pulled Bella into a hug. "We should talk to Alice in the morning," he said. "I'm sure Vermundr and Brynhildr will want to know for sure if we made it back safely. Bella nodded in agreement.

"And we'll need to make arrangements for them to visit," she added. "It's only been a few hours for us, but for them, hundreds of years have passed." Edward responded by tightening his hug, knowing what Bella was thinking without her lowering her mental shield.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the last official chapter to this story. But there will be an epilogue that I will post next week. Thank you so much for reading this story.


	20. Epilogue

The planters within the Garden dining room at Seattle's Fairmont Olympic Hotel were decorated with soft white and pastel pink flowers, which blended perfectly with the theme Alice had chosen. The Cullen family had booked the private dining hall for the night in order to host Renesmee's first birthday celebration, which was already under full swing. A full dinner buffet had been set out by the hotel staff, which was being enjoyed by the members of both Quileute wolf packs as well as the small handful of humans in attendance- Charlie, Sue, Billy, Quil Sr., Emily, Kim, Rachel and little Claire. Even the Denali Coven had traveled down to attend the celebration.

At the current time, the guest of honor was playing with Claire. The pair was being closely watched by Edward and Bella, who were sitting at the large piano that stood in the private dining room, and by Jacob and Quil, both gathered at a nearby table. They had been a bit worried about how the interaction between the two would go, particularly because Quil had been waiting until Claire was older before filling her in on the truth about the wolf pack and existence of vampires. Thankfully, the two girls had bonded, and Renesmee had been doing a good job of hiding her advanced mentality from Claire as the two played with Claire's tea set. Seeing this had been a great relief, particularly for Edward, Bella and Jacob. Considering all the events that had occurred through the first few months of her life, it gave all three of them relief to see her getting a chance at having as normal a life as possible. As they had feared, Renesmee had indeed been plagued by nightmares shortly after their return to the present. No matter what they had tried, her nightmares refused to go away. After a few weeks had gone by, they discovered by chance that allowing Grimalkin to curl up at her side whenever she was having a nightmare seemed to help a great deal. This discovery had made them wonder if Vermundr had anticipated that things would happen that way and had sent the cat home with Renesmee in order to help her, or if it had simply been a lucky coincidence. Either way, the fact remained that Grimalkin's presence had helped Renesmee get over her nightmares.

Pulling his eyes away from Renesmee and Claire, Edward began to play one of his compositions on the piano. It was the same song he'd written for Renesmee just under a year ago. Upon hearing the song, Renesmee glanced up from the tea set to give her father a large smile. Shortly after Edward had reached the end of the song, Alice appeared at his side, a gigantic grin on her face.

"The party's going great! Wouldn't you say so?" she asked, practically vibrating with excitement.

"You really outdid yourself, Alice," Bella replied, smiling at her friend's enthusiasm. Edward, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow.

"What are you hiding, Alice?" he asked. "You've been keeping me out from the moment you started planning this party."

"What do you mean?" Alice inquired, her smile growing ever larger. "What would I have to hide?" Edward, instead of replying, fixed Alice with a piercing look. Upon meeting his look, Alice suddenly started to bounce on her heels, as if she could barely contain herself.  "The final guests are about to arrive!" she exclaimed.

"Final guests?" Bella repeated, turning to look around the room.

"Well, I already knew they would be fashionably late," Alice commented with a shrug. "But they will be here very soon. In fact….yes, they just entered the front lobby!"

"But who else did you invite?" Bella asked, trying to think about who wasn't already present. Alice surely knew better than to invite her old friends from Forks High School, or Renee and Phil.

"Ah!" Edward suddenly exclaimed, turning his head instinctively toward the door as he began to hear the thoughts of the late arrivals. Bella took a moment to study Edward's face. Her concern dissipated when she saw there was no trace of trepidation in his expression. Instead, he turned to give her a large smile of reassurance. The reason for his smile became clear when the doors opened, revealing who Alice's surprise guests were. Bella was so pleasantly surprised to see Vermundr and Brynhildr standing there, she nearly called them by their real names, but remembered in time that they were now going by aliases in public. Even though nearly everyone in the room had been told the story of their experience in 1687, with the exception of Charlie and Claire, there was always the chance that one of the hotel staff or a random guest would overhear her using the outdated names.

"Glad you could make it, John, Bryn," Edward stated as he stepped forward to shake their hands.

"Wouldn't have missed this for anything, Edward," Vermundr replied. "It's good to see you all again."

"We're sorry we're a bit late," Brynnhildr apologized. "It was a long flight from Bangor International to Sea-Tac. And we had to switch planes in Boston and Cleveland."

"Think nothing of it," Carlisle insisted as he joined the group with Esme at his side. "We're just glad you were able to make it at all. It's been far too long since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"

"That's putting it lightly," Vermundr said, crouching down to greet Renesmee as she hurried over to hug him.

"Hello, Mr. Seward, Miss Seward," Esme greeted. "It's so nice to meet you at last." Stepping a little closer, Esme lowered her voice to the point where only those who had advanced hearing could hear what she said next. "Thank you both so much for everything you did for our family in the past and making sure they'd return home to us safely. You have no idea how grateful we all are to you." Vermundr and Brynhildr simply smiled and nodded in response before Esme led them around the Garden dining room to introduce them to the rest of the family.

Before too long, Vermundr and Brynhildr had been fully integrated among the rest of the party guests. Much to everyone's amusement, Emmett had wasted no time in challenging Vermundr to a friendly match, which would take place at Mt. Rainer after the party was over. After some time had passed, Bella found herself and Brynhildr sitting alone at a table located by the floor to ceiling window that took up an entire wall of the private dining room.

"You really seem to have clicked with the Denali sisters," Bella stated. Indeed, shortly after they had been formally introduced, Brynhildr had seemingly bonded with Tanya and Kate, and the three women had spent nearly an hour sharing stories on their own struggles with becoming 'vegetarian.'

"Indeed," Brynhildr confirmed. "I'm not sure you've had many opportunities to really get to know them yet, but they have lived very interesting lives. In fact, they were even on first name terms with George Steller, who was one of the two men credited with the discovery of Alaska. That was how they ended up settling in what is now called Denali."

"What about you?" Bella asked. "Have you had the opportunity to meet any historical figures?"

"Well," Brynhildr said, speaking slowly as if choosing her words carefully. "We didn't have much opportunity to do so. Even though the Volturi still believe he's dead, the fact remains that my brother is still a fugitive. So we have to be very careful to avoid appearing in photographs that might be preserved due to historical significance." Bella bit her lower lip, contemplating this information, but her thoughts were interrupted when a coy smile appeared on Brynhildr's face.

"Between you and me," she whispered, "we _did_ cheat a few times throughout the years. Spent some time in Chicago, Biloxi, and various other American cities. Watched a few certain humans growing up." Smiling at Bella's wide-eyed expression at this news, Brynhildr continued. "Never said _'hello,_ ' of course. We didn't dare risk altering the events of their lives. And of course, we couldn't venture up to check on Jacob. Doing so would undoubtedly risk triggering the wolf gene a generation too early, and it was seriously doubtful that they would believe us if we told them that we would one day be their friends and allies."

"No," Bella agreed, shaking her head almost reluctantly. "They probably wouldn't have." For a brief moment, Bella almost asked Brynhildr if Phoenix had been among the cities the siblings had visited throughout the years, but soon decided it probably didn't matter. After a pause, Bella glanced over her shoulder to look at Vermundr, who was across the room talking with Jasper and Garrett.

"Bryn?" Bella began. "How… how's he been doing since that night?" It was clear from Brynhildr's expression that she knew exactly what Bella was asking, as she bowed her head for a few seconds before answering.

"For the most part, he's doing quite well," she stated. "Months can go by, and you never would guess he'd lost someone. But sometimes, I'll see that look in his eyes. Every so often, you'd catch him looking like he's a million miles away and seeing something no one else can see. Of course, he'll always snap out of it when he realizes I'm looking and pretend it never happened. To be honest, Bella, I don't think he'll ever completely get over loosing Abraham." Bella, feeling a fresh wave of sympathy, glanced over at Vermundr once again. This time, he seemed to sense Bella and Brynhildr's stares and turned to flash them both a brief smile. If he was at all aware that they had been discussing him, he showed no indication of it.

It was a short time later that Alice decided to round everyone up for the group photograph she'd previously arranged.

"After all," she announced. "It's getting late. I'm sure it'll be Claire and Nessie's bedtime soon. This may be the only time to ensure we'll have a picture with everyone in it." Upon looking around the room, Bella noticed she was not the only one in the room whose smile did not quite reach their eyes. Most of the people in the room knew that Alice's words were true in more ways than one. The Cullen family would soon have to seriously talk about relocating somewhere else, and once that day came, they might never get the chance to get everyone together like this again. It was for that reason that Alice had made sure to arrange for a photographer to take a picture of everyone, so everyone could have a memento of this day.

As everyone began to gather together for the photographer, Alice turned to see Vermundr and Brynhildr stepping aside. Without hesitation, she pranced over to them and began to pull them forward.

"Where do you think you two are going?" she demanded.

"I was under the impression that this was really supposed to be a family picture," Vermundr explained.

"And what made you think you weren't considered a part of it?"  For a brief second, Vermundr and Brynhildr seemed too stunned to speak.

"Thank you for that, Alice," Brynhildr said, visibly touched. With that, Vermundr and Brynhildr allowed Alice to place them into the large group consisting of the Cullens, the Denali clan, Charlie and the Quiluetes. However, Bella couldn't help but notice that Alice refused to allow Vermundr and Brynhildr to stand on the edge of the group when they tried. Instead, she seemed to make an effort to place them next to the Denali clan, positioning Vermundr right next to Tanya.

"What are you planning, Alice?" Bella whispered when she stepped over to her side after finishing the task of positioning everyone.

"Nothing," Alice insisted a bit too innocently. "I just think those two getting to know each other will be good for them both."

Very briefly, Bella and Edward shared a bemused look, but then they simply shrugged in unison and began to pose for the photographer to take the picture. They had both learned that there was very little point in questioning Alice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes this story. Thank you for taking the time to read it. If anyone has any questions about the story, please don't hesitate to ask.
> 
> While I do have a bonus scene written, which focuses on Abraham and Cassie's first attempt at producing a child in order to ensure Vermundr won't die when Abraham does, I probably won't post it here unless someone wants to see it.


End file.
